Two down, 23 to go for Ronaldo
Kevin Fylan
A 26-minute debut variously described as magical, bewitching, phenomenal and even frightening has left Ronaldo eager to make another decisive late contribution when Real Madrid rejoin battle with Real Betis on Tuesday.
Ronaldo took just 60 seconds to score his first Real goal, 14 minutes to add a second and a little under half an hour to leave a full house at the Bernabeu utterly captivated.
His double strike in a 5-2 win over Alaves was a case of two down, 23 to go for the Brazilian, who has his sights set on scoring 25 goals in his first season at Real.
He is hoping to continue working towards that target on Tuesday, when Real Madrid and Real Betis reconvene to play the remaining 47 minutes of a match that had to be called off because of floodlight failure, with Betis leading 1-0.
Ronaldo was not even part of the squad when the game kicked off in Seville on September 14 but, under Spanish Football Federation rules, both clubs can change their line-ups as long as they use players who were registered to play at the time.
HEROICS
That leaves Real coach Vicente del Bosque with the option of fielding the 26-year-old Brazilian, who is raring to go following his display at the Bernabeu on Sunday.
"I'm ready to play in the Betis game now," Ronaldo told reporters after his two-goal heroics. "It's just up to the coach.
"I felt very strong as I finished this game and I wanted to go on playing.
"I didn't feel under pressure but I was anxious to get started. Now I've just got 23 more goals to score this season."
Ronaldo's two-goal return to the Spanish league, over five years after the last of his 33 goals for Barcelona in the 1996-97 season, was greeted in glowing terms by the Spanish media.
"Ronaldo bewitches the Bernabeu," was the headline in El Mundo, who praised not just his goals but his all-round game.
"In less than half an hour Ronaldo had time to display the three features that define him as a player -- efficiency, intelligence and generosity," the newspaper said.
For El Pais, Ronaldo's performance was "frightening for everyone", while the Madrid-based sports daily Marca called his spectacular start for Real "a magical minute".
The long drawn-out negotiations that brought Ronaldo to the Bernabeu from Inter Milan in a 45 million euro ($44 million) deal provided a seemingly relentless transfer saga for the Spanish sports media over the close season.
Now the Brazilian is finally back playing, the headlines will continue to come thick and fast, at least according to Real's sporting director Jorge Valdano.
"Ronaldo's quality was never in any doubt and now the question of his fitness has been resolved as well," Valdano predicted. "The saga has only just begun."
