Real Madrid has been a house divided lately. A few ugly losses in La Liga play have drawn criticism from Cristiano Ronaldo towards his teammates. That did not sit well with the club nor the fans forcing Ronaldo to issue an apology and explanation for his choice words. Now the team must figure out how to put it all together as they prepare for a tough matchup against AS Roma in Champions League play.
Ronaldo will be under the spotlight as Real Madrid takes the pitch in the second leg of its Round of 16 match against Roma. The striker was the centerpiece of harsh criticism from the media after he spoke out against his own teammates. The four goals in Saturday's La Liga win against Celta Vigo helped put him back in good graces, but manager Zinedine Zidane noted that Ronaldo needs to ignore the critics if Real Madrid is going to move forward in the tournament.
"Cristiano has spoken to everyone, with me and all, the matter is past," Zidane said. "We know the importance of Cristiano and we're all with him. What's important is what we have ahead of us and we'll get through it together."
Real Madrid will get a big break on the injury front which has Ronaldo feeling much more confident heading into the match against Roma. Part of Ronaldo's criticism was fueled by injuries as the team has been missing several of its stars. However, they are expected to get back Gareth Bale which will take pressure off Ronaldo. The goal scorer had been sitting out with a calf injury, but will play on Tuesday.
"I want to play alongside Bale," Ronaldo said. "I am not criticising the players that have played in his place but I would prefer to play alongside him."
If Real Madrid is going to move forward in the Champions League tournament, the chemistry between Bale and Ronaldo will be critical. When both players are thriving on the pitch, Real is nearly unstoppable on the frontline. They could easily give the Italian club headaches.
After beating AS Roma, 2-0, in the first leg of the Round of 16, Real Madrid is not ready to overlook the match on Wednesday. Real Madrid has proven it is vulnerable after sloppy defeats in La Liga play. Zidane is stressing that his team does not believe this match will be easy as they aim for a dominating win to move forward.
"[Roma] are a good team, but I am more concerned with my players. They all know this will be a tough match. And the ones that will come after [we beat] Roma are also very good and very strong," Zidane said. "I don't care about that. Now, to win, we have to play well. If we don't, they can eliminate us. We are going to prepare for this match as best we can."
