Michael Owen makes Cristiano Ronaldo feelings clear after World Cup nightmare – 'Too easy'

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Michael Owen has defended Cristiano Ronaldo after the forward’s performance in Portugal's World Cup opener. Ronaldo failed to find the back as his side were held to a 1-1 draw with DR Congo earlier this week.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Joao Neves opened the scoring for Portugal last Wednesday before Newcastle striker Yoane Wissa equalised before the interval. Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes of the Group K contest, and the 41-year-old will be hopeful of guiding his country to victory in their next fixture against Uzbekistan on Tuesday evening.

The Al Nassr star’s performance has become a topic of debate, particularly after Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick for Argentina 24 hours earlier in their 3-0 win over Algeria . Now, Owen has leapt to Ronaldo’s defence and explained what Portugal must do to get the best out of the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star, along with a prediction for the country’s next match against Uzbekistan.

“It did not help Cristiano Ronaldo that Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick the night before Portugal played, but I’m not having the criticism of him,” Owen said in an interview with the Daily Mail .

“Portugal weren’t great in their 1-1 draw with DR Congo and a lot of the fallout has been around Ronaldo and him being a problem for them.

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“But hasn’t he always played like this, to a degree? He has never been a player, especially in recent years, who involves himself in the game. He will be there for the big moments, though. If he’s not scoring, it’s too easy to blame Ronaldo. At 41, he is going to be questioned.

“But how many times has this happened and he’s shut everyone up in the next game? If you’re picking Ronaldo then you have to accept what he is there for - and I wouldn’t be surprised if he responds with a hat-trick of his own against Uzbekistan."

After the draw with DR Congo, Ronaldo took to social media to issue a clear message to Portugal fans ahead of the remainder of their World Cup campaign.

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“Not the start we wanted, but this is far from over,” Ronaldo posted on Instagram earlier this week. “Head up and focus on the next game.”

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