A smiling Cristiano Ronaldo adorns The National Sport cover on Saturday, July 25 after helping Real Madrid to a thumping win over Premier League side Manchester City.
Goals from Karim Benzema, Ronaldo, Pepe, and Denis Cheryshev did the damage for Madrid, with Yaya Toure’s penalty the only goal City could muster.
While City were arguably only at half-strength and Madrid fielded close to their best team, the result offers City manager Manuel Pellegrini a stark reality of how far his team has to go to match the very best in Europe.
That is the view of The National's European football correspondent Richard Jolly.
MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
Ronaldo and Benzema on target as Real Madrid master Man City — in pictures
Diego Forlan: From Ronaldo at Man United to myself at Atletico, transfers a big transition
Wilfried Bony focused on fitness for Manchester City
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @NatSportUAE

