My teammates have confidence in me. “My aim is to be good all season and for the team to succeed and win trophies”.
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“The League started a little badly with a draw but we’ve been good since then, more consistent and we’re in a good phase”.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, is revelling in the personal glory but says it’s more about the team’s performances than his own achievements.
However, Benitez has warned his players they can take nothing for granted, with Shakhtar having lost just once in 13 outings in all competitions to date this season. “I hold him in the highest regard”, he said.
Indeed, new Madrid coach Rafael Benítez could not have wished for a better European start with the Merengues and he reserved special praise for his hat-trick hero.
The 30-year-old failed to score in his first two games of the season for Los Blancos, but has since hit eight in his last two.
“But this is not my goal. And I feel confident, I feel good, and I want to carry on like that”.
Ronaldo’s hat-trick against Shakhtar Donetsk has prompted Benitez to declare that the Portuguese is unquestionably at the pinnacle of the football world.
The win did come at a cost for Real, however, with Gareth Bale, Raphael Varane and captain Sergio Ramos all sustaining injuries. The Spaniard sustained the injury during their Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday. With Benzema also getting on the score sheet. “The only negative note was the three players that we had to substitute”. With James Rodriguez ruled out for a while with a leg injury, the pressure of being an attacking midfielder will fall on Isco.
Bale has been affected by muscle issues throughout his profession, which Benitez admitted was a worry for the membership.
“I try to help the team with the things that I have, I try to improve every day and I have to keep on moving forward”, he said.
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It was two years ago today that Cristiano Ronaldo signed a new contract with Real Madrid, saying he could stay at the club for the rest of his career.
