Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has warned critics of Cristiano Ronaldo to expect the forward to impress in the Champions League final.
The competition’s all-time leading goalscorer, Ronaldo has scored 15 times in just 12 appearances in this season’s tournament to help his side reach a third final in a row, although he did fail to find the net in the last-four win over Bayern Munich.
The 33-year-old headed in Madrid’s second goal in Saturday’s draw with Villarreal on his return from an ankle injury, though, and Zidane insists it would be unwise to expect the Portuguese to struggle under the pressure of facing Liverpool in Kiev.
He also dismissed the idea he would prefer to swap Ronaldo for Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, who has scored 44 goals this season in all competitions.
“No, I have Cristiano and I talk about my players,” he told a news conference.
“Cristiano knows that a player can have difficult moments. That’s why he’s the best. Some players suffer under pressure, others just the opposite, and he is one of those. The more you criticise him… be careful.”