Ronaldo gets a new lease of life

Capello's goading of Ronaldo seems to be having a beneficial effect on the not-so-fat-these-days Fenómeno. The headlines will record that Ronaldo rescued his 'BabyMadrid' side , stuffed with youngsters from the B team from going down to Dynamo Kiev in last night's meaningless Champions League fixture (meaningless because neither side's position in the group could change irrespective of the result). What they will not show is that the formerly regarded as 'past it' Brazilian is training like he hasn't trained for years. He fights for the ball, he's even been seen occasionally heading back over the half-way line to help out in defensive duties. He seems to be a changed man.

Whether this is due to Capello's methods, the president's stated vow not to get involved in 'technical' matters, or a combination of the two, it is extremely welcome. Perhaps he won't get the thirty goals he promised, in typical style, at the beginning of the season, but perhaps he's not as finished as it seemed this time last month.


Match report