‘Ronaldo is very good…obviously’

Malmo Coach Age Hareide lamented his side’s inability to stop Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo but ‘he’s very good, obviously.’

Ronaldo scored both goals as Madrid beat Malmo and in the process drew level with Raul as Los Blancos’ all-time leading scorer on 323, and Hareide was asked post-match how he felt his team did against the Portuguese.

“Not well enough. They scored a counter-attack goal because we had too many players forward for a corner,” he replied, AS reports.

“The second goal was in injury time and it was useful that we were very tired. Then there is that Cristiano is very good, obviously.”

Hareide added that he felt his side had chances to equalise as Madrid led by a single goal, possibly should have had a penalty, and praised goalkeeper Johan Wiland.

“Being a goal down at half time is acceptable and makes people think offensively,” he remarked.

“Markus Rosenberg had a chance but we have to take them. I think we were very close to a penalty by Alvaro Arbeloa on Anton Tinnerholm. But he stayed up. If he’d have been smarter and gone down it would have been a penalty.

“It’s the same as against Atletico Madrid and Juventus last year. We held all three of them at times, but didn’t get there. And Wiland, our goalkeeper, was outstanding.

“We wanted to have possibilities but Madrid play the situation and with superiority. Nevertheless we created 10 chances despite Madrid’s pressure.

“Also we know Shakhtar Donetsk lost at home, and there’s also the issue of the goal difference.

“We gave the ball away too easily, that’s what bothered me most. We need to keep the ball more. We’re not used to having such pressure when we have the ball.

“At half time we talked about playing the ball back a little more instead of immediately going forward. But we’ll have to learn. Our youngsters will do well.”

Tags Age Hareide Cristiano Ronaldo Malmo
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