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Lionel Messi rival Cristiano Ronaldo: I think the best player at the moment is me
There is a never-ending debate between sets of avid Messi fans and pro-Ronaldo supporters.“Sometimes, it makes me tired. For him [Lionel Messi] too because they compare us together all the time,” Cristiano Ronaldo told CNN World Sport.
“You cannot compare a Ferrari with a Porsche because it's a different engine. You cannot compare them. He [Lionel Messi] does the best things for Barcelona, I do the best things for Madrid.”
Cristiano Ronaldo finished the 2011/12 La Liga season with an incredible record of 46 goals. However, this feat could not win him the top scorer award as Barcelona’s Lionel Messi clinched a 50-goal tally. Ronaldo continued:
Paulo Bento Named His Squad and his goals for Portugal
On Monday afternoon, Portuguese National Team coach Paulo Bento announced his squad of 23 players for the upcoming Euro 2012. While their were a few players left out that may have left some Portugal fan's confused, for the most part the picks were what many expected. In Paulo Bento's press conference he said: "Our goal is to reach the quarter-finals, and then once we get there we will work to make it further."
"Holland and Denmark are potential candidates for the title and it is possible that the next European Champion could come from our group," said Paulo Bento.
Messi wins Pichichi, Real Madrid enjoy glamorous bash, Falcao downs Villarreal
Champions Real Madrid clinch 100-point mark
Real Madrid won 32 games, drew 4 and lost only 2 in 38 matches. They finished 9 points above bitter rivals Barcelona. An emotional Jose Mourinho declared on Sunday night as the Spanish giants celebrated their La Liga trophy in grand style:
“As the best club in football history, Real Madrid try to win all the titles. This team has made history as the one that secured 100 points and these players are the ones who made that possible.”
In the 2009/10 Spanish Primera Division campaign, Barcelona fell a point short of hitting a century. On Sunday night, Real Madrid celebrated their league triumph at the Santiago Bernabeu in a ceremonious manner with lighting effects and a special performance by Spanish tenor Placido Domingo singing Nessun Dorma.
Real Madrid dethrone Barcelona as La Liga champions on thrilling football night
With this feat, Jose Mourinho has become the first coach to win a league title in four different countries. The Portuguese manager did it in the past in Portugal with Porto, in England with Chelsea, in Italy with Internazionale and now in Spain with Real Madrid. On their way to glory, Los Blancos clinched 30 victories and secured 4 draws. Their only 2 defeats thus far came away to Levante and at home to Barcelona in the first part of the 2011/12 La Liga campaign.
With 94 points and 2 games to go, there is no way Barcelona can catch Madrid at the top. May 2 is a happy night for Madridistas around the world.
Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi Pichichi fight – 43 goals each ahead of Day 36
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have redefined the duties of a striker although none of them is a typical number 9. Ronaldo, with the jersey number 7, is a winger. Messi, Barcelona’s number 10, was converted by Pep Guardiola from a winger to an attacking midfielder or to a second striker. At Real Madrid, CR7 is surrounded by pure strikers like Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain. At Barca, La Pulga has team mates like Pedro Rodriguez and Alexis Sanchez.
However, when Messi and Ronaldo are on the pitch, their team mates know what to do. Give them the ball, they can work wonders with it in front of goal. Between them, they have netted as many as 122 goals… and the 2011/12 football season is not over yet!
Barcelona’s Messi vs Real Madrid’s Ronaldo: Focus on Pichichi after European exit
Lionel Messi tipped to bounce back
An emotional Lionel Messi, devastated by Pep Guardiola’s decision to step down at the end of the season, will be under the spotlight against Rayo Vallecano. The young Argentine suffered the worst night of his career in midweek at the Camp Nou. He was part of the relentless Barcelona team that could not break down Roberto Di Matteo’s Chelsea.
Lionel Messi was given a glorious chance from the penalty spot to put his side 3-2 up on aggregate. However, in front of the Catalans’ multitude of fans at the stadium, Messi missed. His ball crashed against the post at the relief of Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Petr Cech.
Where to watch Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich on TV - Champions League, April 25, 2012.
A draw at the Bernabeu will take the Bavarians back home to the Allianz where this year's Champions League Final takes place. Real Madrid prepare for the biggest battle in their Champions League campaign as they look to overturn a 2-1 loss from the first leg of this semi-final in Germany. Ozil got the crucial away goal which will help Los Blancos if advancement comes down to goal-differential.
Bayern Munich were impressive in the first leg, putting immense pressure on Jose Mourinho's men, who were practically pinned back to their goal in the final portions of the first-leg. Real Madrid managed to equalize 1-1 with an Ozil goal, and were sitting on this result close to the end. But a last minute lapse by Portuguese defender Coentrao permitted Phillip Lahm to cross the ball to Gomez from the right flank, the latter simply poked the ball into the back of the net giving Bayern Munich the win.
Barcelona’s downfall means Real Madrid’s moment of truth has arrived
Camp Nou is falling apart
Football fans witnessed a spectacle like no other on April 24 in Barcelona as Chelsea beat the odds. Real Madrid’s eternal rivals had a numerical advantage over 10-man Chelsea following John Terry’s red card in the first period. Through Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta’s strikes, Barcelona also possessed a 2-goal lead until the Blues came back from the dead.
Ramires, who will miss the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League final through suspension, multiplied his efforts and netted a terrific strike on the stroke of half-time. After the break, Barcelona knocked incessantly for the gates of goals to open again and when Didier Drogba conceded a penalty, glory was there for Lionel Messi to clinch.
Cristiano Ronaldo's world-class Real Madrid silence Barcelona in El Clasico 2012
Real Madrid have taken a gigantic step towards clinching the 2011/12 La Liga title. Jose Mourinho’s men are now 7 points ahead of the Blaugrana. Before the match, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola and midfield maestro Xavi Hernandez described El Clasico as a must-win battle.
“If they [Madrid] win or draw, La Liga is theirs,” Pep conceded at the pre-match press conference.
“We can only win and if not, they will be champions. I would then congratulate them and prepare for next year,” he added.
Echoing his manager’s thoughts, Xavi reportedly told the media: “If Barça win we will continue to have options in this league and if we lose, well, Madrid will have wrapped it up, so it is all or nothing.”
Watch Barcelona vs Real Madrid on TV - The Definitive Guide for tv channel listings for El Clasico 2012
El Clasico 2012 is taking place on April 21st at 2:00PM EST. It is likely to be the most watched league football match of modern times with an estimated 400 million viewers expected to tune in around the world.
The stakes have never been higher for a La Liga Clasico match as both teams have almost everything on the line in this Spanish derby, not to mention their pride.
Barcelona have the most to lose without a positive result, which for them can only be a home win. The Catalan side have made it a habit recenty by finding ways to beat the Madrid rivals no matter where the venue, but at home at the Camp Nou, Barça reign supreme.
For Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho, a draw will not hurt their La Liga title ambition. The Portuguese tactician has surely made his calculations that maintaining a 4 point lead will do just fine with only 4 fixtures remaining in the league.
Both Spanish giants come from mid-week European Champions League semi-finals defeats. Barcelona lost to Chelsea 1-0 in London, whereas Madrid lost to Bayern Munich 2-1 away from home. Both Barca and Madrid will be looking to return to winning ways on Saturday.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Blancos poised to break 107-goal record in El Clasico
Last weekend, Real Madrid beat Sporting Gijon 3-1 with goals from Gonzalo Higuain, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. With the latter’s strike, Los Blancos eventually equalled the all-time goal tally set in a single La Liga season. Ahead of Saturday’s big showdown against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, Real Madrid face the prospect of breaking the record by hitting 108 goals.
“This team's attitude both on and off the pitch is fantastic and that's why we've earned these numbers. We've sometimes failed to do more due to things that are beyond our control,” Real Madrid assistant manager Aitor Karanka remarked during El Clasico’s pre-match press conference on Friday.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid Preview
Team News
The good news for neutrals is that there are no major absences. For Real Madrid, defender Ricardo Carvalho is a doubt. Meanwhile, Eric Abidal, David Villa and Andreu Fontas are the three men on Barcelona’s list of excluded players. Fresh reports indicate that Alexis Sanchez is doubtful but the former Udinese striker may shake off his injury worries in time to play in El Clasico.
Match analysis - What is at stake
Los Blancos and the Catalans will have their best players fit. However, we may not witness a game of high tension as both teams have scores to settle in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
Champions League: Late Mario Gomez winner downs Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid
A bad start to the first half for Real Madrid saw Franck Ribery put the hosts in front after 17 minutes. The Germans proved too strong in the air and on the counter attack. Somehow, the Spanish giants went back into the game.
The goal came inside the 53rd minute through Mesut Ozil in a rather lucky manner. The former Bundesliga player was at standing at the right place to tap the ball in after Cristiano Ronaldo provided a pass from the end line.
Ronaldo himself had decent chances to score but as time went down the clock, frustration took its toll.
Where to watch Bayern Munchen vs Real Madrid on TV
Only four teams are left standing in the 2011-12 UEFA Champions League edition. They are Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Chelsea FC. The two rich and powerful spanish clubs, Real Madrid and defending Champions FC Barcelona, are the bookies' favorites to advance to the Champions League final.
This prospect would set the stage for the most famous Champions League Final the planet could dream for, but first they must overcome the other two semi-finalists Bayern Munich and Chelsea FC who should provide a serious challenge to the spanish giants.
The first leg for Real Madrid will be away in Munich at the hostile ground of the Allianz Arena. The match kicks off at 2:45pm EST and will be aired in the US on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Deportes. Pubs should be busy and many offices will have some employees taking late lunches or simply absent this afternoon.
Messi or Ronaldo – Who will shine the most in the 2011/12 Champions League semis?
Lionel Messi - Barcelona’s record breaker
Lionel Messi has proven over and over again his potential in big matches for Barcelona. Messi is the sort of player that gives coaches and defenders a very hard time making plans to stop him.
The diminutive attacker made it look so easy when he scored 5 goals against Bayer Leverkusen in the Round of 16. With 4 assists and a tally of 14 goals thus far in the UEFA Champions League, Lionel Messi can be proclaimed as the best player in the competition, the one to shut down.
Champions League semi-finals: Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid preview in quotes
Real Madrid have a crucial game against Barcelona coming up later this week. Distraction could be an issue. Meanwhile, the tactical and physical approach against Bayern Munich may be affected as El Clasico will require Los Blancos to be in top form. Defender Sergio Ramos has called on his team mates to take it one match at a time to avoid blowing everything away during this important period in April.
“We must not think about Barcelona or the Spanish title. We are playing in the Champions League semi-final against Bayern,” Ramos told reporters on Monday.
“We are playing against a world-class team. They have a lot of quality in their team and players like [Arjen] Robben or [Mario] Gomez who can make the difference.”
Sporting Gijon are dangerous opponents, says Real Madrid’s Aitor Karanka
Real Madrid assistant coach Aitor Karanka addressed the media on Friday in Jose Mourinho’s place, talking about his team’s situation and chances ahead of their next league game. Los Blancos are currently four points above rivals Barcelona with still six games to go, including this weekend’s matches.Emphasizing his team’s hard work all season, Aitor asserted that a finish with the title would be the deserved end to Real’s campaign. On Saturday evening, Real Madrid host Sporting Gijon, yet although the visitors currently sit in the relegation zone, this game will not be all about confidence and good memories for the hosts.
Barcelona put Real Madrid under intense pressure ahead of key derby
Barcelona had a great night on Tuesday. Goals from Alexis Sanchez, Pedro Rodriguez and Lionel Messi inspired the Catalans to a straightforward victory at the Camp Nou.
Getafe were given absolutely no chance; statistics speak volumes. Barcelona enjoyed 76 per cent of possession time and had 7 shots on goal while Getafe left goalkeeper Victor Valdes with no strike to save throughout the 90 minutes.
The title comeback is truly on for the reigning La Liga champions who have now won each of their last 10 league matches. Los Blancos are consequently under pressure to restore their 4-point advantage on Wednesday night.
Barcelona and Real Madrid maintain La Liga heat by beating Osasuna and Bilbao respectively
Few weeks back, it looked like Real Madrid were going to finish their Liga campaign in style, as they could boast of a stunning 10-point lead at the top of the standings. Somehow though, traces of errors on behalf of Los Blancos - accompanied by relentless efforts from Barca - have supressed the gap to 6 points.The increasing pressure that Barcelona have been firing at their arch-rivals evidently gives much reasons for any football fan to give his attention to the league that currently contains the world’s best players. This is not an opinion, but rather a justifiable fact, as Barcelona dominated the 2011 FIFA Ballon d’Or nominations.
APOEL vs Real Madrid: Flurry of goals led by Ronaldo or upset for Los Blancos?
APOEL are the surprise package of the competition. Their victory over French giants Olympique Lyon in the Last 16 was stunning and historic. Their reward for achieving that is a date with pre-tournament favourites Real Madrid. How strong is APOEL Nicosia’s tonic?Jose Mourinho’s Blancos have only just found back their momentum. Their two consecutive 1-1 draws in La Liga came as an embarrassment as their 10-point lead at the top of the table got cut to 6 points. However, last weekend’s 5-1 demolition of Real Sociedad proves that Real Madrid still have the fire required to finish the season on a high.