Champions League 
Madrid: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane warned Cristiano Ronaldo's critics not to write-off the Portuguese, who is expected to pick up his fifth Ballon d'Or this week. Ronaldo has scored just twice in 10 La Liga matches this season as a stumbling start by Madrid has left them eight points adrift of leaders Barcelona. However, Ronaldo leads the goalscoring charts in the Champions League with eight in five games and Zidane expects that form to soon return on league duty. "He is so good that when things don't go as he is used to then people start to talk about him," Zidane said yesterday ahead of Real's Champions League tie against Borussia Dortmund.

Real Madrid star forward Cristiano Ronaldo heads a ball during a training season yesterday ahead of his team's Champions League clash against Dortmund in Madrid tonight. Pic/Getty Images