Petulant Ronaldo under Clasico scrutiny

With Real Madrid in full-blown crisis mode following back-to-back defeats and a trip to Barcelona on the horizon, last weekend's 2-0 win over lowly Levante should have been a cause for celebration around the Santiago Bernabeu.

For one of its beleaguered stars, at least, it was. Gareth Bale responded to the fiercest criticism he has faced in his 20-month spell in the Spanish capital with his first two goals in nine games.

The Welshman reacted to his first strike by covering his ears to mock the boos and whistles his own fans had greeted him with five days earlier in a 4-3 loss to Schalke.

Yet not everyone was thrilled.

Cristiano Ronaldo's response to Bale firing home after his initial effort had been headed off the line by Ivan Ramis was more in tune with watching the opposition score than one of his teammates.

"Ronaldo's extraordinarily stroppy reaction to Bale scoring from a rebound from his effort was bizarre and unhealthy," tweeted former England international Gary Lineker.

The Portuguese striker could barely hide his frustration once more when Bale was then credited with Real's second after his drive cannoned in off the former Spurs star's left leg.

That led to the quite unbelievable situation where Bale's name was again whistled by the Bernabeu crowd for having the audacity to claim a goal that was rightly his.

"As a fan, I don't like to see Cristiano Ronaldo like this, but that is what he is like," said Madrid legend Carlos Santillana, who Ronaldo recently overtook to become the third highest scorer in the club's history. "He ought to cut out that cocky attitude."

Ronaldo's arrogance has long been seen as part of the unique formula that has made him such a great player and almost untouchable in the Spanish capital.

His record of 293 goals in 285 games since joining from Manchester United six years ago means it is not a matter of if he will surpass Raul to become Madrid's top marksmen of all-time but when, and he looks set to do it in 400 fewer appearances.

Moreover, he has won back-to-back Ballon d'Ors and led Los Blancos to their coveted 'La Decima' - a 10th European Cup - with a competition record 17 goals in one season less than a year ago.

Yet, there is a growing feeling that a combination of factors are dragging Madrid's main man down just when it needs him most ahead of Sunday's potentially decisive clash in the fight for the La Liga title.

Despite Madrid's struggles in recent weeks, Barca's lead at the top of the table is still only one point, with 11 games remaining.

Ronaldo has struck 41 times in 39 games this season but his ratio has dropped from 1.39 goals a game to 0.64 in 2015.

That run also included a ninth red card of his career for lashing out at Cordoba defender Edimar.

Off the field he has split from long-term Russian supermodel girlfriend Irina Shayk and was heavily criticized for hosting a huge 30th birthday party just hours after Real had been humiliated 4-0 by local rival Atletico last month.

The latter stunt left some fans enraged.

Ronaldo told reporters he would not be speaking publicly for the rest of the season after the Schalke debacle and was seen muttering a profanity towards the Bernabeu stands when his umpteenth attempt to find the net against Levante was met with derision.

Yet Ronaldo has always loved a challenge, especially when it comes to his personal duel with Lionel Messi.

"I am not going to stop. I want to reach Messi," he said when picking up the third Ballon d'Or of his career in January, just one behind the record held by the Argentine.

(China Daily 03/21/2015 page10)