Mats Hummels knows exactly what to expect from Cristiano Ronaldo when Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich host Real Madrid in their UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday, but says there are "patterns" in the prolific Portugal front man's game to exploit.
Ronaldo has scored 22 goals in his last 12 matches, and grabbed a second-leg hat-trick as Real knocked out Bayern at the quarter-final stage of last season's competition.
"I watch a lot of the big teams in action, I'm interested in football in general, so there are things you notice," the Bayern defender told SPORT BILD.
"I think there are a couple of patterns with Ronaldo, there are certain anomalies. I'll try to make use of what I know, but I’m keeping it to myself."
Hummels was part of the Germany team that beat Ronaldo's Portugal in the group stage of the UEFA 2012 EUROs and FIFA 2014 World Cup. He has also faced the Ballon d'Or holder seven times in the Champions League for former club Borussia Dortmund and Bayern (W3, D1, L3).
"Ronaldo has changed his playing style in recent years," Hummels continued. "He's not as dominant as he once was; now he's all about finishing moves off and scoring goals. In that sense, he's the best goalscorer in the world because he can score all kinds of goals, at any point in a game.
"Real are a real threat from the flanks, and from set-pieces with central midfielders like Toni Kroos. You have to defend the balls into the box. That makes it difficult to defend against Ronaldo. He doesn't need eight touches before shooting. He does it with the first or, at the most, the second."
Bayern travel to Madrid for the second leg on 1 May. The winners will face either Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool or AS Roma in the final in Kiev on 26 May.
WasimLafir
61
it's all good and somewhat true...but u must also understand the caliber of player your facing...even top top rated attackers or even some one season wonders have a certain style or pattern of play. and I'm not just referring about how they take their runs, dribble styles, or shooting styles, what feet or side they tend to use the most etc....no, not only that but also mentally how they condition themselves even when your team is 2-0 down...but this is CR7 and Messi levels we are speaking about...you simply cannot give them a moment's chance one wrong step and the chance of you picking the ball from the back of your net is almost certain...you cannot plan for that kind of caliber...you go ol'skool and man mark him, be right on him as if your life depended on it. do not take your eyes off the man, and pray to god they have a bad day.....