Ronaldo Sees Red, Madrid Win

CRISTIANO Ronaldo was sent off for hitting Cordoba defender, Jose Angel Crespo, but Real Madrid still picked up all three points thanks to a last gasp penalty from Gareth Bale.

  It was a miserable afternoon for Ronaldo in which he was overshadowed by former Manchester United winger Bebé for much of the game. 

  His frustration got the better of him in the second half but when he was given his marching orders it meant Bale was allowed to take both free-kicks and penalties.

  He won a spot-kick with a free-kick that was handled by Fede Cartabia who was sent off and he stepped up in Ronaldo’s place to score from the spot.    

  Ronaldo could face a three-match ban for violent conduct but Bale looks more than capable of picking up the baton in his absence. 

  The former Tottenham winger ended up deciding the match but for a long time it seemed another winger might grab the headlines.

  It was five years ago that Sir Alex Ferguson signed a 19-year-old Bebe from Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal without having seen play. 

Many hoped he would be the next Ronaldo signed three years earlier from Sporting aged 18, but beyond nationality and position, there turned out to be few similarities.

  Bebé played seven games for United and four for Besiktas on loan before heading back to Portugal to rebuld his career on loan first at Rio Ave and then at Pazos Ferreira. It looked as if he’d bounced back when he signed permanently for Benfica in the summer but after one appearance he was sent out on loan again this time to Cordoba placed 14th in La Liga going into this weekend’s fixtures.

  He was back on the same pitch as Ronaldo on Saturday afternoon and in the battle of the former Manchester United wingers Bebe was winning hands down at the end of the first half crucially winning the spot-kick that gave Cordoba the lead.