A new Cristiano Ronaldo: Major improvements everywhere

The last two games against Napoli and Espanyol have served to see a new Cristiano Ronaldo, a player that has evolved, who dribbles more and better, finds his teammates, plays the ball more, participates in the game ... and does not shoot.


His statistics in those two matches are worthy of further scrutiny.


From 2.3 attempted dribbles per game to six, and 0.7 dribbles completed to three.


Thinner, faster, more eager to collaborate and more cooperative with his teammates, Ronaldo even recovered that spark in the sprint he seemed to have lost.


He is more 'present' in matches and not only in the vicinity of the goal - 48 touches per game has risen to 53.5.


Curious statistics because in the two games, the Portuguese hasn't managed a single shot on target, something unthinkable previously for Real Madrid's top scorer.


Although his priority is still to score, he is becoming a player who can change his way of being and playing for team harmony and benefit.

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Zidane almost used his full squad...in two games!

Victories over Napoli and Espanyol have put Real Madrid in a strong position both domestically and in Europe and the key to their success is Zinedine Zidane's rotation of his squad - 19 of 24 players have been used in those two fixtures alone.

Only Ruben Yanez (third goalkeeper), Mariano, Coentrao, Danilo and Asensio have failed to get minutes, and the latter only because Nacho asked to come off so the French coach had to throw Marcelo on in his place.

Had the Mallorcan played any part, there would have been 20 players used in just four days.

"We need the freshness of all the players to achieve our goals," Zidane had said in his pre-match press conference, suggesting that he would, perhaps, take the rotation of his squad to the extreme.

And that's precisely what happened.

There were seven changes from the side that played against Napoli to the one that faced Espanyol, and only Cristiano Ronaldo, Dani Carvajal, Raphael Varane and Toni Kroos kept their places.

On Sunday, everyone will rest, and Zidane will have them all available for training on Monday and for the match at the Estadio Mestalla on Wednesday - the first time this season that he has had such a luxury.

24 headliners

Sergio Ramos was rested for Espanyol, in came Pepe.

Luka Modric - replaced by Isco.

Casemiro rested and Mateo Kovacic stepped up to take his place.

James Rodriguez played against Napoli on Wednesday, Lucas Vazquez got the nod on Saturday, and Karim Benzema made way for Alvaro Morata in a Real Madrid side where everything seems to be working like a swiss watch.

For the next couple of fixtures, Zidane has the same plan in mind; Los Blancos will field one side against Valencia and another against Villarreal.

At the Estadio Mestalla, Real are likely to return to their strongest XI; to include Keylor Navas, Ramos, Modric and Benzema.

Gareth Bale will also get more minutes each week to build his fitness back up as quickly as possible.

In this marathon of games, only Ronaldo and Kroos seem to have a fixed spot in the side.

These two players, along with Carvajal and Varane, are the only ones to have played 180 minutes this week.

The Portuguese remains untouchable and the German is fine after the 19 days he was unable to play because of the postponement of the Celta Vigo game and his previous sanction.

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Seven instances Benzema proved he can overcome anything

An uncanny ability to silence his critics, Karim Benzema's career has been defined by times in which he has proven people wrong.

He has lived through it all, becoming the leading French goalscorer in the Champions League with 51 goals, edging out Thierry Henry.

Here are seven obstacles he has put behind him to become one of Real Madrid's most important of players:
A difficult first year at the Bernabeu

When Florentino Perez signed him from Olympique Lyon, Benzema endured a tough adaptation period at Los Blancos. It was the first time he left home and he had to adjust off the pitch as well as on it. Mauricio Pellegrini didn't trust the striker much, and with good reason, as Benzema put up the worst numbers of his career with just nine goals and six assists in 33 matches.
Mourinho didn't want him

It wasn't much better with Jose Mourinho in charge at first. After a Gonzalo Higuain injury however, he started to feature more, and despite a rough start to the relationship, Benzema admits Mourinho made him a better footballer. In his second season under his stewardship, he scored 32 goals and had 19 assists.
Competition with Higuain

Having to compete with Higuain for the starting No. 9 spot wasn't good for either player and limited both of their minutes. When Higuain left, many believed Benzema stayed on because he was Perez's signing, not based on merit. But his longevity at the club shows there was a reason to keep him at the club.
Fitness issues and injuries

While the injuries he has faced at Los Blancos haven't hindered his career, they have come at key times and forced him to the sidelines when the team needed him most. Recently, early season struggles meant Alvaro Morata was gaining ground, but he has since reasserted himself once his fitness permitted.
Ostracised from the French national team

Off-pitch matters have meant the French national team have gone without one of their most talented strikers, and he took refuge in Madrid. France agreed for the most part with Didier Deschamps' decision not to call him up, which had a heavy toll on the player's conscience.
Bernabeu boos one of their own

When things go wrong, Benzema is normally the first to be blamed, as his cold-blooded streaky nature invites criticism on a consistent basis. He has never let them bother him, and continues to respond when it matters most, in the Champions League.
Eye of the storm

The striker debate came and went. Benzema reasserted his dominance and Alvaro Morata hasn't started in the last seven matches, as he struggles for playing time. More than anything, Benzema can overcome any scenario, no matter how tough. Like a cat with nine lives, adversity is what has come to define his success.

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Suarez: The end of an era? We are the best team in the world

As difficult to swallow as the 4-0 defeat was, Luis Suarez is not giving up on the tie, Luis Enrique or the season as there is still plenty left to fight for Barcelona.

Andres Iniesta too has called on cules and the team to believe a comeback is possible, and the Uruguayan striker will be hoping that is the case as he won't be able to feature in the Copa del Rey final.

"If Barcelona want to make history, we'll have to come back," he said. "We are all guilty, same when we win as when we lose.

"The team has to convince itself it is possible - we won the treble so we must believe in ourselves."

Suarez didn't want to dwell on his two yellow cards that mean he'll miss the Copa del Rey final vs. Alaves, with the Appeals Committee rejecting his appeal.

"What is said is done," the striker stated. "Few times do players get two yellows back to back in just a few minutes, and one of my cards was for a foul in midfield, of which there are many like it."

Finally, Suarez was asked about whether Luis Enrique should continue as coach and whether the club should sign a right-back, two of the most pressing issues for the Catalans.

"If we need a right back is for the coach to decide," Suarez said. "Not at all have we lost faith in Luis Enrique.

"We've enjoyed ourselves thanks to him and now we suffer altogether as a team.

"We aren't listening to those that are saying there are internal problems.

"It isn't surprising that people are calling it the end of an era. We are the best team in the world. We get criticised win or lose so this isn't new and we shouldn't pay it too much attention."

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Real Madrid will rest players to maintain title charge

Zinedine Zidane announced his intention to rest key players against Espanyol on Saturday, arguably a tactic prompted by fear of expanding Real Madrid's injury list.

Keylor Navas, Luka Modric and Karim Benzema are not included in Los Blancos' match-day squad, whilst Sergio Ramos, Fabio Coentrao and Danilo miss out through injury.

Gareth Bale will feature, albeit from the subs bench.

For the first time since missing Real Madrid's opening six domestic games through injury, Navas will play no part in a LaLiga fixture, meaning Kiko Castilla - who has not seen league action since late September - gets the nod.In defence, Dani Carvajal's position is safe as Danilo can'r even train at this point.

It seems Marcelo may drop to the bench with Nacho entering at left-back, but failing that, the Brazilian starts with either Pepe or Varane having a break and Nacho filling a centre-half role.

Mateo Kovacic will replace Modric in midfield, and it is doubtful Casemiro and Toni Kroos, the two heroes against Napoli, will sit on the bench even though the former has played 14 consecutive 90-minute games.

However, if Isco was to start, it would be to replace the German, as Casemiro's presence brings a balance that cannot be replicated.

Up front it has been confirmed that Alvaro Morata and Cristiano Ronaldo will play.

In the event of a 4-3-3 formation, Marco Asensio has not been included in Real's last two games so it is likely Lucas Vazquez will start, with Gareth Bale set to make a second-half cameo appearance after returning from injury.

In total, Los Blancos could make between five and six changes in order to maintain their one-point lead at the top of LaLiga - having played two games less than their title rivals.

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Real Madrid equal their best-ever scoring streak

Once Karim Benzema had equalised for Real Madrid against Napoli, it meant Los Blancos had equalled their all-time record of scoring in 41 consecutive matches.

It's the fourth time that the club has achieved the mark in its 115 years of existence.

The last game in which Real didn't find the net was against Manchester City in the Champions League semi-final on April 26, 2016.

On that occasion, the game finished goalless.

Real Sociedad were next up, on matchday 36 of the 2015/16 LaLiga season and since then, 110 goals have been rifled home in those 41 games.

Jose Mourinho was on the bench in the 2011/12 campaign, the last time the club reached the mark, and during that period the team scored a monumental 135 goals and eventually went on to win LaLiga.

In 87/88 and 88/89, when Leo Beenhakker was at the helm, Real scored 103 goals and secured a league and cup double.

The first time the record was achieved was in the 51/52 and 52/53 seasons.

Ipina presided over a team including top scorer Pahino, with 35 goals, Roque Olsen, who got 17, and Luis Molowny, with 11.

Barcelona hold the absolute record in Spain, scoring in 44 consecutive games between the 1942/43 and 1943/44.

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Barcelona still have better Champions League odds than Napoli

Lncredible though it may seem, most bookmakers around the world are still giving customers better odds for Barcelona to win the Champions League than Napoli.

The Catalans need to overcome a 4-0 deficit, something that's never been done before in the competition's history, but that would appear to be a possibility for some, with the Italians given no hope at all of progressing against the holders, Real Madrid.

At this moment, placing a one euro bet on Barcelona to lift the trophy in Wales in May would win you 41 euros if Lionel Messi and Co. achieved an incredible turnaround.

For the same amount, but this time betting on Napoli to take the title, you would receive 51 euros prize money.

Bayern Munich are the favourites for most bookmakers who will only give you 4.33 euros back for your single euro spend.

Then come Real Madrid with a 5.50 euro return and Paris Saint-Germain with seven.

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Neymar: Barcelona have 1 percent chance of qualifying

Barcelona forward Neymar has confessed that while his side believe they can overturn their Champions League deficit, there is only a one percent chance of them reaching the quarter-final.

Luis Enrique's men were on the receiving end of a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night, leaving their hopes of progression in tatters.

"While there is a 1 percent chance, we have 99 percent faith," the Brazilian wrote on Instagram.No side in Champions League history has ever overturned a four-goal deficit in the knockout phase of the tournament.

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Luis Suarez picked as greatest January signing by BBC Sport users

Luis Suarez has been picked as the greatest January signing by BBC Sport users.

We asked you to rank 10 signings made by clubs in the January transfer window, with 61% choosing the former Liverpool striker as their first pick.

The Uruguay international moved to Anfield in 2011 for £22.7m and went on to score 82 goals in 133 games, before leaving for Barcelona for £75m in 2014.

Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic (26%) was second, while team-mate Patrice Evra (3%) was third.

The pair moved to Old Trafford in 2006 and went to help the club win five Premier League titles and the Champions League.

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge was picked fourth, while Chelsea defender Gary Cahill was fifth.
Some we missed..

You got in touch with BBC Sportsday with some other suggestions for the best ever January signings.

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Sergio Aguero: Manchester City have no intention of selling striker in summer

Manchester City have no intention of selling Sergio Aguero this summer, despite the striker being left out of the team for the past two matches.

The 28-year-old signed a contract extension earlier this season, meaning he has three years left on his deal.

After coming off the bench in City's 2-1 win over Swansea, Aguero said: "I want to stay, of course.

"In these [next] three months I have to help the club and then they will decide if I have a place here or not."

Despite Aguero expecting a decision to be made in the summer, senior City figures indicated on Sunday that they do not expect to sell the player.

The Argentina forward came on for the final seven minutes as City secured a dramatic win over Swansea thanks to Gabriel Jesus' injury-time winner, the second of the game for the Brazilian, who has taken Aguero's place in the starting XI.
Analysis: Jesus not ready to replace Aguero yet

Aguero is City's top scorer this season with 18, 11 more than Raheem Sterling, who is next on the list.

He is third on City's all-time scoring chart with 154 and was the Premier League's Golden Boot winner in 2014-15. He was also City's leading scorer in their 2011-12 title-winning campaign, when he netted the famous injury-time winner in the final game of the season against Queens Park Rangers.

However, he was left out of a key Champions League qualifier againstBarcelona at the Nou Camp on 19 October, which led to reports he is not in manager Pep Guardiola's plans.

"In three years my contract is up. That's why I say I'm happy at the club," said Aguero.

"When you're on the bench you have to wait for your opportunity. I have three months to do my best and try to help the team. Then we'll see what happens with my future."

Guardiola said Aguero remains "one of the most important players in our squad" and will "play a lot of games" between now and the end of the season.

But Jesus, 19, has impressed his manager, scoring three goals in three starts since joining from Palmeiras, and the Catalan suggested he would not be left out of the team as long as he continues his scoring form.

Guardiola said Aguero's reaction to being omitted was "perfect", adding: "It must not be easy. I understand that."

City's next three matches are in different competitions, at Bournemouth in the Premier League on 13 February, Huddersfield in the FA Cup on 18 February before they entertain Monaco in the Champions League last-16 first leg on 21 February.
Analysis - 'Writing is on the wall'

Former Manchester United defender Phil Neville

I don't think Pep Guardiola fancies him. You have got one of the greatest strikers in world football sat on the bench and not for the first time this season.

For me it looks like the writing is on the wall.

Aguero has said he will play until the end of the season but he will not be happy.

If you look at the stats, City are better without him in the team but I think if you are going to win a title you need someone of his quality.

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