Cristiano Ronaldo used to practise taking penalties so that the ball moves before he strikes it, former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand has said.

 

Ronaldo scored from the spot as Real Madrid beat PSG 3-1 at the Bernabeu in a Champions League round-of-16 first leg match on Wednesday. The ball seemed to pop up on the spot fractions of a second before the Portugal captain fired it past PSG goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.

 

Slow-motion replays showed that, rather than touching it with his standing foot, Ronaldo had disturbed the turf under the ball, making it move and basically volleying it at Areola.

 

 

Rio Ferdinand, speaking in his role as a pundit for BT Sport, said:

 

"He used to do that in training, you know.

"He used to mess about in training and do it but to do it in a game. I'm not saying he means it but he used to do it, I swear to you.

"Crazy, but he used to do it."

 

Looking at it now you even wonder the guts it takes to try something when the season is not going well for Real Madrid and their one chance at a trophy is in this competition.

 

I guess that is why some people consider him the best footballer on the globe.