Top 7 Cristiano Ronaldo moments at Real Madrid

#6 Copa del Rey final goal

This goal has a lot of significance. Before this game, Ronaldo was always labeled as a big-match bottler – someone who only pounced on the smaller teams.

And Barcelona, at the time, were at the pinnacle of their history. The Catalans’ domination in Spain meant that Madrid winning the Copa Del Rey would be the beginning of a power shift that would see the rise of the Galacticos.

Jose Mourinho was signed by Real Madrid as a means to end the Barca dominance and while he couldn’t stop the Catalan juggernaut from winning the league and the Champions League, he could do so in the Copa Del Rey.

So now, with only the Copa left, Madrid had to end their trophy drought. For 103 minutes, both sides gave it their all. Barca were the favourites but Madrid were not going to let them win easily this time.

And then in the 103rd minute, something happened – something that triggered a belief in the Blancos.

Di Maria floated in a beautiful cross from the left and Cristiano Ronaldo leaped like a bird. In his flight, his head met the ball and the latter went into the net like a bullet, giving Madrid their first title under Mourinho.

It was the beginning of Madrid believing in themselves again and Ronaldo putting the ‘can’t play well against big teams’ myth to bed.