Speaking ahead of Real Madrida s fixture against Malaga, manager Rafael Benitez heaped praise on Cristiano Ronaldo while hinting that the team is not over-dependant on the Portuguesea s heroics.
Despite being unable to score a goal in his last two outings, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the focal point of Real Madrida s attack after scoring 8 goals in successive fixtures this season.
The most important player in a team is the one who scores goals
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As reported by AS, Rafa Benitez made it clear that Cristiano Ronaldo was the most important player in his team due to his ability to score goals. While he seemed intent on building the team around Gareth Bale earlier, it seems that the Spaniard has had a change of heart following Ronaldoa s heroics this season.
a The most important player in a team is the one who scores goals. For that reason I try to keep playing him. Thata s why hea s on the pitch so much. As hea s so good, I like to see him scoring goals.a
Though Benitez praised Ronaldo for his goal-scoring abilities, the manager made it clear that the team was not over-reliant on the Portuguese superstar. The Spaniard also revealed that he had not set Ronaldo a personal target for the season.
a I havena t given him one (target). I know hea ll score lots of goals. The good thing is that if he doesna t score then Karim, Jes , Isco will.a
The race isna t won on the first curve
Leading the Spanish La Liga table following their 1-2 win over Athletic Bilbao, Benitez refused to bask in his recent glories as he claimed that the team had a long way to go.
a The statistics are good, but the race isna t won on the first curve.
a Ita s vital to continue having good numbers to reach the end of the season with chances in every competition.a
Real Madrid will be keen to get a good result against Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu as they travel to Malmo on Wednesday, before visiting the Vicente Calderon for the much anticipated Madrid derby.