LISBON -- When the final whistle blew, Cristiano Ronaldo let out a heavy sigh, bowed his head and began to shake hands with his Sporting Lisbon opponents.
Not that his Real Madrid team had lost. Karim Benzema's glancing header six minutes from full-time had secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory for the European champions to ensure that the final Group F game against Borussia Dortmund at the Santiago Bernabeu next month will still offer Real the chance to progress as group winners.
No, Ronaldo's frustration was not at the result. It was because he had allowed his homecoming party against the club where he made his name to pass by without doing anything of note to add to the occasion.