Jerome Boateng says only a defensive team effort can prevent Cristiano Ronaldo adding to his mind- blowing tally of nine goals in six games against Bayern Munich on Wednesday , AFP reports .
Bayern host Real in a blockbuster Champions League semi – final , first -leg , at the Allianz Arena with Ronaldo in goal – scoring form .
The Portugal superstar has scored 15 goals in the Champions League this season , hitting the net in each of Real ’ s 10 games in Europe .
“ We can only stop Cristiano Ronaldo as a team, ” Bayern centre – back Boateng told German magazine
Kicker .
“ In front of goal , he ’ s like a machine .
“ You can ’ t shut him out completely , he always gets his chances in a game , because of the lines he runs and his excellent timing.
“ Real base their game around him and it’ s important we give him as little room as possible . ”
Ronaldo was at his lethal best when Real beat Bayern 6 – 3 on aggregate in last season ’ s quarter- finals – scoring five of their goals.
He hit two second – half goals as Real came from behind to win 2 – 1 in Munich, then bagged a hat – trick in a 4 – 2 extra – time win in Madrid .
That came after he scored twice in Munich in the 2014 semi – final 4 – 0 rout of Bayern and hit two more against the Bavarians in the 2012 semis .
“ There is a no more complete striker than Ronaldo . Left foot, right foot, header – he is in perfect control of everything he does , ” said Boateng .
In his six Champions League knock -out games for Bayern against Ronaldo ’ s Real, Boateng has lost five of them.
His only success was a 2 – 1 win in Munich in the 2012 semi – finals when Bayern later progressed by winning a penalty shoot- out in Madrid after losing 2 – 1 in the second – leg .
“ I went through only once against him with Bayern , but twice we have gone out , ” said Boateng .
“ He also has the best team- mates at Real .
“ Shutting him out is only 50 percent of it, the other players are simply too good for that at this level . ”
The Article How Bayern can stop Ronaldo first appeared on JoelsBlog.
