Thread by @PeterPrickett

R9 time.

Following on from my observations of Erling Haaland's goals and his astonishing 38 one touch finishes I have watched three seasons of Ronaldo (R9) goals.

Starting with Barca, then Inter and on to Real Madrid, after his injuries.

Here is what I saw.

1 - Breaking down the Barca goals.

In 96-97 Ronaldo scored 34 league goals.

11 were one touch finishes.
8 were two touch finishes.
13 were three + touch finishes.

He only scored 1 penalty, which I am not counting with the 1 touch finishes.

This is a huge contrast to Haaland and illustrates the explosive style of pre-injury Ronaldo.

2 - Ronaldo shot into the imagination of fans because of his dynamic, explosive dribbling. Bursting beyond defenders and through gaps that seemingly weren't there.

Ronaldo scored five incredible solo goals at Barcelona. He also scored six goals where he went round the goalkeeper, which would become one of his trademarks.

Ronaldo also scored three goals from outside the box.

His solo goals and goals from outside the box partially illustrate the difference in era but also show the levels of flair and unpredictability of R9.

3 - Breaking down the Inter goals.

Season one was his arrival in Serie A in 97-98, before the controversial and severe injuries.

R9 netted 25 times in Serie A and 34 in all competitions.

7 were one touch finishes.
8 were two touch finishes.
6 were multi touch finishes.

4 - R9s speed behind back lines made him a constant threat and he often faced goalkeepers 1v1. In his first Inter season Ronaldo scored 6 goals going round the goalkeeper, including a famous goal in the UEFA Cup final where multiple stepovers put the keeper on the floor.

However, not one goal in this season would fit the category of a solo goal, beating multiple players to score. The nearest is a masterpiece goal scored on a mud bath in Moscow. Ronaldo dribbles past players before playing a 1-2, bursting into the box and going round the goalkeeper. The 1-2 dirsupts the solo goal, though I am sure some people would still count it as such.

5 - The calibre of defending in Serie A reflects R9s goal tally and the type of goals. He scored 6 penalties and 4 free kicks, these were hardly a factor at Barcelona.

6 - After the injuries Ronaldo eventually recovered to World Cup winning form and moved to Real Madrid.

Much of the explosiveness had gone, but how did that change his scoring?

R9 had three successive 20+ La Liga seasons (the first two were also 30+ in all comps).

The most prolific was the 2003-04 season. I took a closer look at the goals in that specific season.

7 - The league breakdown.

14 goals were one touch finishes.
5 goals were two touch finishes.
11 goals were 3+ touch finishes.
1 goal was penalty.
4 goals were from outside the box.
4 goals were solo goals.
3 goals were round the goalkeeper.

8 - R9s game had undoubtedly changed. The increase in one touch finishes is significant. The 3+ touch finishes are slightly inflated due to R9s habit of taking multiple touches after going round the goalkeeper and walking the ball into the empty net.

Ronaldo's intelligent movement away from defenders was key to his consisent scoring at Madrid. Though the pace was diminished he still possessed enough to get away from a defender but was still enough to create space to shoot.

This would appear to contradict the increase in solo goals (4) when compared to Inter. There would be a definite difference between the defensive approaches of Serie A circa 1997 and la Liga circa 2003. The type of solo goals are also slightly different to the goals at Barcelona. The dribble was still powerful but less explosive and dynamic, defenders were able to keep up, rather than being left trailing in his wake.

How to finish like R9?

Have explosive dribbling ability.
Finish with both feet.
Drive the ball low and accurately across the goalkeeper.
Bamboozle goalkeepers in 1v1 situations.
Have flair and unpredictability, able to shoot from long range.
Be able to evolve into a near and far post predator, adding efficiency to flair as physical attributes change.