Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
VIDEO: Ronaldinho suffers horror challenge then misses penalty
BRAZILIAN playmaker Ronaldinho suffered a nightmare tackle during his club Atletico Mineiro's 5-2 Copa Libertadores victory over Arsenal de Sarandi.
The two-time World Player of the Year was scythed down by Arsenal defender Diego Braghieri in the penalty area in a potential leg-breaking hack.
The referee dutifully awarded a spot-kick but did not even book the Argentine tackler, who could easily have caused serious damage to the Brazil international.
Ronaldinho got back to his feet to take the penalty however, but perhaps unsurprisingly was unable to convert it instead blasting against the crossbar and out of play.
Mineiro went on to win the match 5-2, thanks to a hat-trick from midfielder Bernard and strikers Diego Tardelli and former Manchester City striker Jo, to ensure Ronaldinho's missed penalty didn't effect his side.
But evoking memories of Roy Keane's crunching tackle on Alf-Inge Haaland and Nigel De Jong's karate kick on Xabi Alonso, Ronaldinho was lucky to escape without injury after Braghieri flew into this challenge.