With some sharp words after a tough loss, Cristiano Ronaldo may just have goaded his Real Madrid teammates into raising their game. That loss to city rival Atletico was followed by a pair of Spanish league victories — and five goals from Ronaldo — ahead of Tuesday's Champions league match against Roma.
"He's strong, good, and capable of scoring four goals in 35 minutes," Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said of Ronaldo. "I may have hit the ball well from close range, but I never scored four in a match. Few players can have that feeling."
Madrid lost to Atletico 1-0 on Feb. 27, and Ronaldo criticized the rest of squad.
In the Champions league, Madrid beat Roma 2-0 in the first leg of the last 16. So even a 1-0 loss at home will put the 10-time champions into the quarterfinals.
Here are some things to know about Tuesday's match:
AlMOST FUll-STRENGHTH
Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane will be able to field an almost full-strength squad, missing only the injured Karim Benzema.
Without Benzema, Madrid's attack will likely fall to Ronaldo and a recently recovered Gareth Bale.
BAlE'S BACK
The return of Bale will certainly help the attacking game that Ronaldo criticized after the Atletico loss. The Welshman's return after seven weeks out culminated with a goal in the rout of Celta — an angled shot against the far post.
THE TOTTI CASE
Matters off the field continue to cause issues in Rome as "the Totti case" rumbles on. The iconic captain turns 40 in September but wants to continue playing, while the club would reportedly prefer him to retire at the end of the season and join the staff.
In other match of the day, Wolfsburg will play against Gent.