With another El Clasico upon us, we will take a look at some facts that stick out between Ronaldo and Messi. The two stars have made a significant impact on the El Clasico over the years, and the upcoming match will likely be no different.
From scoring goals to getting their teammates involved, their performances will always influence the final result.
1) Consistently Playing
It is not often that you see either player not finish any match, especially when it comes to El Clasico. For Lionel Messi, he has only not played the full 90 minutes against Real Madrid on one occasion. That match came in his first meeting with the Merengues during the 05/06 campaign, when he was subbed off in the 70th minute. The Blaugrana won that match 0-3.
Since Ronaldo's arrival at the Bernabeu, he has failed to play the full 90 minutes twice, and both matches came in La Liga. He was subbed off in his first ever El Clasico due to lack of fitness, which Madrid lost 1-0. He also came on as a sub in their last La Liga meeting, which Madrid won 2-1.
2) Yellow Cards Are A Problem
Ronaldo has been cautioned three times against Barcelona, and oddly enough, all three of those matches were played at the Nou Camp. But the worst part about that is the fact that Real Madrid lost two of those matches, and drew one.
- 08/17/11 - Cautioned in the 53rd minute (Supercopa) Barcelona won 3-2
- 01/25/12 - Cautioned in the 54th minute (Copa del Rey) 2-2 draw
- 11/29/10 - Cautioned in the 32nd minute (La Liga) Barcelona won 5-0
As we can see here, whether it be coincidental or not, if the Portuguese captain is cautioned in El Clasico, the Merengues don't win. If CR7 is to get booked on Saturday night, could that be bad news for Madrid?
3) Getting Others Involved
In his whole career against Real Madrid, Lionel Messi has recorded 11 assists. From those 11, only three came before CR7's arrival at the Bernabeu. Since these two have gone head to head, every match that Lionel Messi records an assist, Barcelona has never lost.
- 08/14/11 - Real Madrid 2-2 Barcelona (1 Assist) (Supercopa)
- 08/17/11 - Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid (1 Assist) (Supercopa)
- 01/18/12 - Real Madrid 1-2 Barcelona (1 Assist) (Copa del Rey)
- 01/25/12 - Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid (1 Assist) (Copa del Rey)
- 01/30/13 - Real Madrid 1-1 Barcelona (1 Assist) (Copa del Rey)
- 11/29/10 - Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid (2 Assists) (La Liga)
- 12/10/11 - Real Madrid 1-3 Barcelona (1 Assist) (La Liga)
4) Ronaldo Enjoys The Nou Camp
Playing at the Nou Camp against Barcelona is no easy task, but Ronaldo seems to feed off of the pressure on the big stage. Real Madrid's number 7 has played 10 matches at the Nou Camp in all competitions, and he has already scored nine goals, while also notching one assist.
With all those goals scored, Ronaldo has helped guide the Merengues to four victories, three draws and three defeats.
- 08/17/11 - Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid (1 Goal) (Supercopa)
- 08/23/12 - Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid (1 Goal) (Supercopa)
- 04/20/11 - Barcelona 0-1 Real Madrid (1 Goal) (Copa del Rey)
- 01/25/12 - Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid (1 Goal) (Copa del Rey)
- 02/26/13 - Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid (2 Goals) (Copa del Rey)
- 04/21/12 - Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid (1 Goal) (La Liga)
- 10/07/12 - Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid (2 Goals) (La Liga)
5) No Player Has Ever Recorded A Hattrick
Considering how often these two players can put the ball in the back of the net, it is impressive that neither of them have been able to score three goals in one match against each other. Lionel Messi did manage to score one hattrick during the 2006/07 campaign, but Ronaldo was still applying his trade at Old Trafford. Will either of them be able to ever score three goals in one match when going head to head?
6) Some Other Important Facts
- When Barcelona hosts the first El Clasico of the campaign, they have never lost. (Since Ronaldo's arrival in Spain)
- Barcelona has only been shutout one time in an El Clasico, which was a 0-1 defeat in the Copa del Rey.
- Real Madrid is averaging 1.5 goals scored from 10 matches at the Nou Camp with CR7 in the squad.
- Ronaldo has only managed to emerge victorious at the Nou Camp in a La Liga match once in four attempts.
- Since Ronaldo's arrival, Madrid has not managed to defeat Barcelona by two or more goals in a La Liga match, home or away.
- The Blaugrana are averaging 1.9 goals scored at home against Real Madrid since Ronaldo's arrival in all competitions.
And before you predict which player - between Messi and Ronaldo - will outshine the other, here are valuable stats by Voetbal about both superstars as of October 25, 2013:
