Ronaldo: "Real's real 'special one'"

If anyone at Real Madrid deserves to be labelled special or essential, it is Cristiano Ronaldo. When push has come to shove, amid friction in the dressing room or the stands, the Portuguese ace has always stood up to be counted, rising to the occasion to keep his team's flame burning a little longer.

More than extraordinary, CR7's output has been out of this world. The Portuguese striker boasts 53 goals in 52 appearances this season, a tally that is beyond the reach of the mere mortals and to which only Ronaldo and Messi can aspire.

One runs out of superlatives to describe Cristiano's greatness, but his stats speak for themselves. He has scored at the Camp Nou, the Amsterdam Arena, the Westfalenstadion, the Mestalla, Old Trafford, the Türk Telekom Arena and San Mamés. He hit the target in the Champions League last 16, quarter-finals and semis, and his total of 12 goals makes him odds-on to be crowned this season's top scorer in the competition.

But that's not all. With his brace against Valladolid, Ronaldo reached 200 goals for Real Madrid, a total he has racked up in just 196 games. This is a truly gobsmacking achievement.