Cristiano Ronaldo is back from the dead and back in the groove. The Real Madrid attacker came into the Champions League quarter-final clash away to Bayern Munich without a goal in 613 minutes of European football but reports of the 32-year-old's demise were greatly exaggerated.
On Wednesday night at the Allianz Arena, he found his shooting boots just when he was most needed to leave Los Blancos within touching distance of the last four.
However, it would be a brave man to write off Ronaldo and he came good early in the second half with a clinical finish as Real sought a way back into the game after Arturo Vidal's header had given Bayern the lead in the opening period.
Vidal also blasted a (highly dubious) penalty over the crossbar late in the first half and it looks like the tie turned on that moment because after the interval, Madrid came out with much more intensity and found their reward with Ronaldo's equaliser on 47 minutes, when he beat Manuel Neuer with a precise right-footed effort from a Dani Carvajal cross.
Javi Martinez was then sent off for kicking the Portuguese and after that, Madrid edged closer and closer to a winning goal. Bayern were hanging on and there was Cristiano again to poke through Neuer's legs after substitute Marco Asensio had curled in an inviting ball to the 32-year-old.
Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti had praised Ronaldo before the game and said he hoped his former player would start the game on the bench. And ironically, Cristiano had fought to try and keep the Italian coach at Madrid when the writing was on the wall for ex-Milan trainer.
After Barcelona's damaging defeat on Tuesday at Juventus and now this result, Madrid will be favourites to lift the famous trophy again, having already won the European Cup on 11 occasions - including twice in the past three seasons.
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