Real Madrid Ancelotti gets out his notepad

Carlo Ancelotti did not hold back in his discussion for Sina Sports of how Zinedine Zidane can get Cristiano Ronaldo firing on all cylinders. Indeed, the Italian went as far as offering a visual representation of the ways in which Ronaldo can roam around in Real Madrid's attacking set-up.

To unpack the sketches a bit, when Cristiano Ronaldo is on the left flank, his target is to forge into the box as quickly as possible. If he makes a beeline for the byline, this leaves him with the sole option of crossing the ball into the middle. On the other hand, when he cuts inside instead, he can pose a greater threat because he can let fly from the edge of the area at any moment - something that the Portuguese does to great effect.

Meanwhile, there is another possible scenario where Cristiano and Gareth Bale can team up down the right, creating an overload. With Bale drawing defenders away up the wing, this creates an opportunity for Ronaldo to race to the penalty spot, where he can wait for a pass and can reasonably expect to find himself in space.