Cristiano Ronaldo as a 'make do' 9

Posted Monday, July 29, 2013 by Marca.com

Carlo Ancelotti continued testing Cristiano Ronaldo as a lone front man in a 4-3-2-1 formation during some of the game in Gothenburg. The Portuguese appears to be the Italian's back-up centre-forward, after Karim Benzema.

Now free from the partnership he maintained with Higuaín in recent seasons, the Frenchman scored a great goal against his fellow countrymen and once he has more games under his belt he is expected to regain the form he previously showed, especially during José Mourinho's second season in charge. If nothing unexpected happens, the number 9 shirt is his, as the club does not plan on bringing in another striker, beyond the arrival of Gareth Bale who can play in several attacking positions.

If the Frenchman were hypothetically absent through injury or poor form, Real's plan B would be to push Cristiano Ronaldo forward. Whenever Ancelotti has played him in that role during pre-season, the Portuguese has not looked completely comfortable due to a lack of space to play his normal game.

Real's other out and out centre-forward is Alvaro Morata. The European Under-21 Championship's top goalscorer is trying to stake a claim in his new manager's starting XI. He did not hesitate to take the penalty kick during the friendly against Lyon as he wants everybody to see what he is capable of. He has received offers from other clubs but for now, neither club nor player have any intention of parting company.

Real has yet to decide what role another star of its academy will play - Jesé has just signed a new deal and will join up with the rest of the squad this Sunday for the start of the club's US tour. His talent is reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo, although he would not slot into the role of centre-forward immediately. He has yet to make his top flight debut, but nobody doubts his talent.