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Malmo, Sweden: Cristiano Ronaldo will aim to end an uncharacteristically long goal drought in three games when Real Madrid travel to face Malmo in the Champions League.
Ronaldo is just two goals shy of matching Raul’s 323-goal record as Madrid’s top goalscorer of all time.
However, the Portuguese has been made to wait for his historic moment after failing to find the net in La Liga meetings against Granada, Athletic Bilbao and Malaga in the past 10 days.
Ronaldo was especially frustrated as Real failed to score at home for the first time in 56 matches in a 0-0 draw against Malaga on Saturday despite 31 attempts on goal, 14 of which came from the World Player of the Year.
Yet, Ronaldo often saves his best for European nights as he netted a hat-trick in Madrid’s 4-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in their Group A opener to move out on his own as the top scorer in Champions League history with 80.
“Everyone knows what he is like. He is not obsessed with beating records but rather he aims to help the team to win,” Madrid left-back Marcelo told the club’s website.
Rafael Benitez’s men have now been held scoreless twice in their opening six La Liga fixtures, but the former Liverpool and Chelsea boss is confident the goals will come for the Spanish giants if they continue to create as much as they did against Malaga.
“Creating so many chances seems positive to me, but preventing opportunities on the counter-attack is something that we need to correct as well as managing the anxiety at the end of games,” he said.
“When the opposition goalkeeper is the man-of-the-match it means you have at least done your job attacking and created so many chances he has had to intervene a lot.”
Benitez has also been hamstrung by a series of injuries to key players in recent weeks. James Rodriguez and Gareth Bale are unlikely to make their return in Sweden with the Madrid derby against Atletico to come on Sunday.
Pepe also misses out and Sergio Ramos remains a doubt, so Raphael Varane and Nacho could again deputise in central defence.
Malmo goalkeeper Johan Wiland is the man tasked with the unenviable job of stopping a Madrid side desperate to make amends for the weekend, but the 34-year-old is relishing the opportunity to face the world’s best.
“I love games where I have a lot to do,” he told Malmo’s website.
“You have to make the best of it. It also feels special when the Champions League song goes on. I think you can ask Ronaldo and he would say the same thing.
“You have to go out there and enjoy it. I have told all of the players that, but we should also do the job. We are a very good football team and we have a chance.”
