Bruno Cesar had given the Portuguese club a 47th minute lead and after Cristiano Ronaldo looked to have secured a point with his expertly-dispatched free-kick in the 89th minute, second-half substitute Alvaro Morata popped up with a dramatic 94th minute victor.
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Real Madrids Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (C) celebrates with his team-mates after scoring during the UEFA Champions League match against Sporting Lisbon at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, on Wednesday.
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo spoke of his respect for Sporting CP and said it was why he was unable to celebrate his stunning free-kick.
“I want to finish here, in Madrid, it’s where my heart is right now”. Indeed, this season he’s yet to start a game for Madrid in LaLiga or the Champions League.
Instead of performing his trademark ‘Siii!’ celebration, the Portugal global held his hands up in the air as his teammates swarmed to congratulate him.
Ronaldo, playing his 350th game in a Real Madrid shirt, scored his 94th goal in the Champions League.
“I think we played a great game, but we need a bit more experience”, Sporting coach Jorge Jesus said.
The comeback came after Zidane made some key changes, adding substitutes Lucas Vazquez, Alvaro Morata, and James Rodriguez.
Up next for the defending champs in a fortnight is is a tricky trip to Borussia Dortmund who thumped Legia Warszawa 6-0 in their opener. Rodriguez then provided a sumptuous ball into the penalty area for Morata to grab the victor.
Alvaro Morata would wrap up all three points in the dying moments but it was how Real’s superstar celebrated his wonder strike that was most interesting.
“I don’t know if we would have lost if I was on the bench until the end of the match”. We want to win the group so the win was so important’.
But the goal did not only help Ronaldo’s side begin their Champions League defence with a win, it also meant that he continued his record of scoring in every game against his previous clubs, as AS pointed out. It plays at Espanyol on Sunday in the Spanish league, a competition it leads with three wins from three rounds.
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In Group E, thrashed by Tottenham 4-1 at White Hart Lane last season in Europa League, Monaco took its revenge on Europes biggest club stage with a 2-1 win at Wembley.
