Cristiano Ronaldo v Lionel Messi & stats – who will have the edge in El Clasico?
Lionel Messi
The two 2011 FIFA Ballon d’Or nominees are fully fit for the match so there would be no excuse should any of them underperform.
Overall, Lionel Messi clearly has the edge over Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi developed the habit of scoring against Real Madrid since the day he opened his goal account with a hat-trick which stunned Los Blancos.
The Argentine playmaker is simply uncontainable. His trademark runs incite defenders to commit fouls. Sergio Ramos and Pepe will have to be on the alert. Unless Lionel Messi uncharacteristically flops on Saturday, expect Casillas to have yet another busy night.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, has endured so many bad moments against Barcelona. His adventure against the Catalans, which started during his days at Manchester United, has more downs than ups. At several occasions against Barca, Cristiano Ronaldo failed to control his frustration at the delight of his anti-supporters.
Cristiano Ronaldo will have a point to prove on Saturday night. He will be deployed in the wings with Angel di Maria and he’ll have to team up with Higuain or Benzema upfront. Mourinho’s decision to play a 4-3-3 formation against Barcelona could benefit Ronaldo’s attacking flair.
The Portugal captain is a master of free-kicks but he is yet to deceive Victor Valdes with one of his rocket strikes. Pressure will be on the €94 million superstar to maintain Real Madrid’s perfect record at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Important Cristiano Ronaldo statistics
- Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 2 goals in 12 matches against Barcelona.
- His first league goal against the Catalans was scored at the Santiago Bernabeu. It was a penalty.
- Cristiano Ronaldo is second in the chart with 6 assists in La Liga this season.
- Cristiano Ronaldo shares the summit of the top scorers chart with Lionel Messi.
- Cristiano Ronaldo has an average of 1.2 goals per match in La Liga this season.
Important Lionel Messi statistics
- Against Real Madrid, Lionel Messi has scored as many as 13 goals in only 15 matches.
- The Barcelona playmaker opened his goal account against Los Blancos three years ago.
- Lionel Messi has played 1,359 minutes for Barcelona against Real Madrid in his career so far.
- Lionel Messi is on the verge of creating a record by scoring in three consecutive Clasicos.
- The Bernabeu is one of Messi’s favorite grounds. He’s scored 7 goals in his last 5 matches there.
- Lionel Messi has scored 17 goals in La Liga this season like Cristiano Ronaldo.
- Lionel Messi is third in the top assists rankings with 6 assists.
Will Cristiano Ronaldo prevent Lionel Messi from stealing El Clasico’s spotlight once again?
Real Madrid vs Barcelona
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