Ronaldo was replaced by Zidane 21 games later
In the 75th minute of Real's thrashing of Sevilla, Zinedine Zidane decided to rest his star striker, who had scored two goals. The French manager hadn't substituted the Portuguese ace since last season.
75 minutes against Sevilla were enough to score a brace, helping Real Madrid rout Sevilla who looked powerless throughout the fixture.
The game out of the visitors' reach and Zidane rested his No 7, with his sights set on the Club World Cup due to start next week.
The last time Cristiano Ronaldo was brought off before the final whistle was on May 17, exactly 21 official fixtures ago. It happened against Celta Vigo when, in the 84th minute, he was substituted when the game was virtually in the bag for Zidane's men.