Manchester United will be hosting Atletico Madrid at Old Trafford on Wednesday night for a chance to qualify for the quarterfinal of the competition.
A lot of talks have been on Cristiano Ronaldo’s record against their opponents and with the clash tied on a 1-1 draw, United fans expect their man to be lead them in the tie as they aim to send the Spanish side home.
Having netted a hat-trick in their weekend 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur, Ronaldo comes into the game in some great form and the opposition will be wary of the Portugues who have caused them sleepless nights every time they meet.
Ronaldo has played 35 times against the Diego Simeone side in his career while representing Real Madrid and Juventus and notched up 25 goals as well as nine assists against them in those meetings. Those games and goals have brought 17 wins, nine draws, and nine defeats.
Ronaldo’s two most important wins against Simeone’s side came in the 2014 and 2016 Champions League finals. He scored from the penalty spot to seal the first victory, a 4-1 win and scored the decisive spot-kick in the 2016 shootout.
During the 2011/12 season, he scored five goals across the two matches as Real secured a double of 4-1 wins over their bitter rivals in La Liga. And then there was the first-leg 2-1 deficits against Los Colchoneros that Ronaldo singlehandedly turned around with hat tricks in 2017 and 2019.
At Juventus, there were Champions League heroics against Atletico, too. In the last 16 in 2018/19, Ronaldo scored a second-leg hat-trick to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit.
The Portuguese superstar is the all-time leading scorer in Champions League history with 140 goals to go with his five Champions League titles and five Balon d’Or trophies.
The Numbers
Ronaldo has played 16 matches against Atletico Madrid in La Liga. While in the colors of Madrid, his team managed seven wins, five draws, and four defeats. Ronaldo scored 12 goals in the matches and provided three assists for his teammates.
While at Real Madrid, Ronaldo played seven games against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey. Real won four matches, drew one, and lost two. The Portuguese scored six goals in the games but didn’t provide any assist.
Ronaldo has faced Atletico Madrid 11 times in the Champions League, and his teams have won five, drawn four, and lost two. CR7 also managed seven goals and two assists in these matches.
Ronaldo has also played Atletico Madrid in the Supercopa. They met two times and did not win a single match as they drew one and lost one. Additionally, he did not score in any of the games.
At 37 years old, Ronaldo may be slowing down but it would be a huge mistake if Atleti ignored his presence on the pitch.
