The Portuguese presented the individual award to a packed
Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday and then helped his side leapfrog Barca and
Atletico
Cristiano Ronaldo presented the Ballon d'Or to the
Santiago Bernabeu faithful ahead of Real Madrid's 2-0 win on Saturday before
firing them to the top of La Liga.
He scored his 40th goal for club in country in 2013-14 as
los Blancos moved to the Spanish summit for the first time since winning the
title in May 2012.
The Portuguese claimed the prestigious Ballon d'Or earlier
in January and showed off the award prior to kick-off as Madrid's fans held
aloft gold cards to form a spectacular mosaic at the stadium.
The 28-year-old posed with the trophy on his own and then
with the rest of his team-mates and the club's 78-year-old pitch supervisor,
Agustin Herrerin.
It was a stark contrast to the last time he had faced
Granada at the stadium, when he netted twice in September 2012 but told media
after the game how he was 'sad' and upset with the club.
Ronaldo helped Madrid to a 2-0 win as he broke the
deadlock with a lovely left-footed goal in the 57th minute, while he also
struck the bar with a venomous free kick and forced a fine save with a
spectacular overhead effort.
He also played a part in his side's second, scored by
Karim Benzema, as Madrid won a seventh consecutive match without conceding for
the first time in their history and, more importantly, returned to the top of
La Liga for the first time in 20 months.
However, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are only two
points behind and can move back ahead of los Blancos by winning their
respective fixtures on Sunday. Barca are at home to Malaga, while Atletico
travel to nearby Rayo Vallecano.
Culled from Goal
