Morocco coach Herve Renard is struggling for a game plan to stop Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday.
The North Africans will take on Portugal at the Luzhniki Stadium and face a tough task to get out of Group B at the World Cup, having lost their opener 1-0 to Iran.
Ronaldo bagged a hat-trick in the tournament in his side’s opening 3-3 draw with Spain.
At 33, Ronaldo become the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the tournament, drawing level with Ferenc Puskas as Europe’s most prolific international goal scorer on 84 in the process.
Renard admits that it will be tricky to come up with a plan to deal with not only him (Ronaldo), but the rest of Portugal’s talented front line.
“Even if you conjure up the best plans to halt Ronaldo, he will find a way to break free. He always makes the difference, at the minimum to put his side on the right track and at best to win the game for them,” Renard said at a presser on Tuesday.
“Those who try to mount a plan against him, he always manages to find something to make the difference. He’s an exceptional player. The word may not even be strong enough, but we must do everything to make it less exceptional’’.
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“If we put three on Ronaldo, they have so much offensive quality. If it only happens once in our lives to play Cristiano Ronaldo, you have to be the best you can.”
