Milan, italy, May 28: Cristiano Ronaldo insists personal goals will be put to one side as Real Madrid seek to embellish their incredible European record with victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final on Saturday.
Ronaldo, a three-time world player of the year, has never scored a goal at the San Siro but has the chance to match and surpass his own record of scoring 17 Champions League goals in a season.
Second final in three years
Yet two years after Real defender Sergio Ramos levelled at the death to inspire a stunning, extra-time comeback against the same opponents and secure a 10th triumph in Lisbon, the Portuguese superstar insists winning an 11th crown is far more important than who hits the net at the San Siro.
“It would be nice to equal or even pass the (scoring) record, but I am not obsessed with that because the most important thing is to win,” Ronaldo said when asked about adding to his 16-goal tally in the competition this season.
Atletico’s achievements may pale in comparison, but the threat from Diego Simeone’s men, who have restricted Real to only one win in their past 10 meetings since the 2014 final, is real.
Only two years after Lisbon, Simeone’s men are back having stunned Barcelona in the quarter-finals, and ended the hopes of the Catalan giants’ former coach Pep Guardiola when they ousted his Bayern Munich side on away goals in the semi-finals.
Unsurprisingly, Simeone is bullish ahead of a clash that Ronaldo says will settle which side rules the roost in the Spanish capital.
“We’ve already played two of the top three teams in the world and now we’re facing the third in the final,” Simeone told UEFA.com.
He believes the key to beating Real will be breaking down a solid defence and making sure his players remain vigilant at set-pieces.
“Madrid are different to Barcelona and Bayern; they’re a much more direct team who are a massive threat from set pieces.
Whoever wins, says Ronaldo, will earn the local bragging rights: “We will see who is the best. I am positive. I think Real are better than Atletico, but we have to show it on the pitch.”
But Real have plenty of reason to be wary. Atletico have recorded 35 clean sheets in 56 games this season, including shutouts at home to Barcelona and Bayern Munich when they were dumped out of the competition.
They also managed a 1-0 win at Real’s Santiago Bernabeu to inflict Zidane’s only La Liga defeat in four months in charge when the sides last met in February.
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