As two of the biggest football stars in the planet prepare to lead their respective nations in the World Cup playoff, it is definitely the time to take out the stats book and have a look at how Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic have terrorised opponents for club and country this year.
Breaking a 24-year record in the Championnat
Despite playing host to some of the most talented strikers in the continent, no French Ligue 1 player was able to break a record set by Olympique de Marseille legend Jean-Pierre Papin in the 1989/90 season.
However, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is no ordinary athlete. After proving his worth in Netherlands, Italy and Spain, the Sweden captain arrived in France and guided Paris Saint-Germain to their first Championnat since 1994 and in the process, netted 30 goals and became the first player to do so since the former France international’s exploits all those years ago.
Shooting boots that leave their mark
Cristiano Ronaldo is going through yet another period of ‘form of his life’. The 28-year-old has once again started the new La Liga campaign in explosive fashion, scoring 16 goals and providing three assists. With his shooting boots already smelling blood, the Portugal international has had the most shots on goal (103) and most on target (44) in the league.
With eight goals and three assists in the Ligue 1, Zlatan Ibrahimovic loses out to Ronaldo on this particular stat. However, it is quite evident just how vital the Swede is for Laurent Blanc’s side. Just like Ronaldo, Ibra has also proven to be the most powerful frontman in France with 62 shots on goal and 23 on target. Though he is reaching the twilight years of his career, Ibrahimovic is still rightly feared by all opponents and could be breathed in the same air as Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Disciplined performers
Despite being branded as egocentric individuals by many people, it should be noted that both men rarely had any fall offs with referees this season. Ibrahimovic has been booked just once so far which clearly indicates just how professional his displays have been despite playing in a league that’s known for its physicality. Ronaldo on the other hand, has collected just three bookings. This could be a sign that Portuguese rocket is gradually working on anger management.
Key pass ratio
Ibrahomivic averages 1.7 key passes in every Ligue 1 and Champions League game while the Portugal captain has the same average, which shows that the two men have been terrific all-round performers and have contributed towards every aspect of the game.
Plundering goals across the Old Continent
Both men have been in phenomenal form in the Champions League this season and have scored a combined amount of 13 goals.
Ronaldo in particular has been outrageous in attack. His equaliser in the match against Juventus last time out took his tally to 14 strikes in Europe in 2013, making him the highest Champions League scorer in a calendar year. He currently has an impressive goals per game ratio of two, having found the net eight times in the four games he has played.
Ibra, meanwhile, is not lagging far either. The big Swede has scored seven times in the four matches he has played for PSG in the Champions League. Zlatan single handily terrorised the Anderlecht defence as he scored four sublime goals and in the process became only the tenth player in the history of the competition to have scored four or more goals in a single game.
The race for the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League golden boot looks very competitive already with Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic eager to showcase their attacking instinct on every single matchday.
Leading their country from the front
Both men are captains of their respective national sides. Ronaldo has scored 43 goals for Portugal while Ibra has scored 46. And a few days from now, both men will face off in the colours of their national side which will truly be a spectacle considering the fact that both men head into the two-legged affair in phenomenal form.
However, the outcome of this playoff will definitely be football’s loss as only one of these superstars will be flying their nation’s flag at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
It is definitely not an exaggeration when someone says that people will flock to see these two players perform. Despite not being the ‘good old boys’ of modern day football, even their critics will not deny the fact that the two men are true professionals.
If there was a term such as one-man armada, it will definitely fit these two. Not many players have the ability to guide their respective sides to wins and score goals at such a phenomenal rate. The game between Portugal and Sweden is definitely the poster match of the 2014 World Cup qualification playoffs and it is the presence of Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic that has added more drama to an already extremely crucial tie.
Here are some valuable stats, put together by Whoscored which show just how brilliant the two athletes have been so far.
Who will be decisive?
Portugal should have avoided the playoffs but several unconvincing performances condemned them to slip behind Russia in their group. Sweden had a tougher mission with Germany winning Group C. When Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic will clash against each other on November 15 and November 19, which captain will be more decisive? Which of these two players will secure a spot at the 2014 World Cup?
