"This paradox is explained by the fact that Cristiano has only netted in one of the six rounds of La Liga action, but that day he filled his boots. The 30-year-old's five goals against Espanyol are the only notches on his belt in the league this season, despite having had some 48 shots. Statistically speaking, that means he has converted just 10.41% of his attempts, slightly over half as many as last term (21.52%). In other words, though his return remains impressive on a goals-per-match basis, his strike rate has nosedived.
The matter is even more revelatory if we look only at shots on target. In the 2014-15 La Liga season, 49.84% of Ronaldo's efforts between the posts - essentially, one in two - hit the net. This time round, that figure has fallen to a lowly 22.72%.
At no stage of his six-year Real Madrid career has Cristiano been this profligate on a sustained basis. The comparison with previous campaigns is proof that something is not quite right."