Has any team ever truly managed to put the shackles on Cristiano Ronaldo?
The statistics that accompany the Portugal international’s career so far has been nothing short of stunning – he has already recorded 28 goals and nine assists in the La Liga this season alone.
While already a phenomenon at former club Manchester United, it is widely believed that the 29-year-old only completely fulfilled his immense potential after moving to Real Madrid, where he used his ongoing rivalry with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi to push himself even further.
Ronaldo was unsurprisingly a vital cog in Los Blancos’ hugely successful 2014, where they won the Champions League, the Copa del Rey, the Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
And the newly-crowned FIFA Ballon d’Or winner was recently recognised for his incredible achievements by being namedPortugal’s Greatest Player of all time.
Real Madrid though, have only won two of their five games played in all competitions so far this year, and critics have questioned if the former Sporting Lisbon star has been overplayed.
They’ll be hoping to improve on that record when they travel to Córdoba on Saturday, and manager Carlo Ancelotti believes Ronaldo will once again be in tip-top condition to help the team.
“I say the same thing as I said to the squad, that Ronaldo is always at his peak,” Ancelotti said.
“I have not seen any deterioration in him. It's true he hasn't scored in a couple of games recently but his physical and mental condition is always at a maximum.
“I can explain to you how we work with all the players: they do pool work with cold and hot water. I think Ronaldo does more work on his own at home and you also have to take into account his genetic make-up.”