The Portuguese struck twice in the 2-0 win at Malmo to
draw level with Raul as the club's all-time top scorer
and show coach Rafa Benitez that he remains the go-to
guy for goals
COMMENT By Ben Hayward
Five hundred and one and counting. Cristiano Ronaldo
went past the half-thousand mark with his two goals
against Malmo on Wednesday night and also drew level
with Raul on 323 strikes for Real Madrid. "We shouldn't
depend on him," Rafa Benitez said in the build-up to
the game. But they need to.
What Benitez had meant was that Real require goals
from elsewhere as well, and he is right in that sense.
However, Ronaldo remains the most reliable outlet and
he showed just how important he is to the club's
Champions League aspirations with both in this match.
All of Cristiano's eight strikes so far in 2015-16 had
come in two games (five in the 6-0 win at Espanyol and
three in the 4-0 victory at home to Shakhtar Donetsk),
but he had failed to find the net in his past two
matches.
Sensing the opportunity against a Malmo team likely
making up the numbers in Group A, the Portuguese was
lively from the outset in this match and hit his 500th
career goal after 28 minutes when he latched onto an
Isco pass and beat Swedish goalkeeper Johan Wiland
with a cool finish.
Dani Carvajal hit the crossbar late in the first half as
Madrid threatened to build on their lead, but Benitez's
side have struggled somewhat for goals recently and
had to wait until the 90th minute for the second. And
again it was Ronaldo, this time as he poked home a
cross from Lucas Vazquez.
That was his 323rd strike for Real Madrid and saw him
reach Raul, the club's all-time top goalscorer. The
former Spain striker needed 741 matches to net his 323.
Cristiano, meanwhile, has managed it in just 308
appearances for Los Blancos . Insatiable.
According to official club statistics, Ronaldo surpassed
Raul and now has 324 goals for the Spanish side.
However, that tally includes a strike given to Pepe
against Real Sociedad by match officials in 2010-11 but
which is included in the register recorded by sports
daily Marca (who awarded the Pichichi prize).
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