Real Madrid face Barcelona for the 234th time in their history, but for the last 8 seasons, El Clasico has been about Cristiano Ronaldo vs Leo Messi as well. The teams have already met this season, with Madrid earning a last-gasp 1-1 win at the Nou Camp, but Los Blancos are favourites going into this game.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s side could end Barcelona’s La Liga challenge with a win tonight, with Messi facing incredible pressure to perform and inspire his side tonight.
Here are 5 reasons why Ronaldo will be better than Messi in this El Clasico:
#1 Recent El Clasico History
Lionel Messi comfortably leads the way in El Clasico goals and assists overall, with 21 goals and 13 assists in this blockbuster fixture. Cristiano Ronaldo trails by some way, with 16 goals in El Clasico. However, ever since the 2009/10 season, the year Ronaldo joined Madrid, the Portuguese superstar has outscored Lionel Messi by 1 goal in El Clasico, with the Barcelona superstar scoring 15 goals in that time period.
In fact, in the last 6 games between Real Madrid and Barcelona, Lionel Messi has failed to score. To put it in perspective, ever since Toni Kroos joined Real Madrid, Messi has failed to score against Los Blancos. Ronaldo, in contrast, has scored thrice in the last 6 Clasicos.
Even amongst his own team, Messi is outperformed by Neymar and Luis Suarez in the last 4 La Liga seasons. Messi’s Uruguayan teammate leads the way with 4 goals, while Neymar tops the list of being involved in the most goals (6 – 3 goals and 3 assists).
It’s clear to see that Messi has personally struggled against Madrid, and with Casemiro on the pitch, that trend could continue. Ronaldo, on the other hand, has no hoodoos against Barcelona, and ought to trouble their weak backline.
#2 Form going into this game
At first glance, it seems as if Lionel Messi is in better form going into the game, as the Argentine has outperformed Ronaldo over the course of this season so far. The Argentine has a staggering 45 goals and 17 assists in 45 games so far, while Ronaldo has 31 goals and 12 assists in 38 games this season.
However, comparing the last 5 games these two players have played – it’s clear who’s in better form currently. Messi has scored 4 goals and 2 assists, all of which came in two games against Sevilla and Real Sociedad, while he had no goal involvement in 2 games against Juventus and 1 game against Malaga.
Cristiano Ronaldo has plundered in 5 goals in his last 5 games – all of which came against Bayern Munich. In games he’s not scored in, Ronaldo has gotten assists, being involved in 2 goals against Athletic Bilbao and 1 assist in the game against Deportivo Alaves. The only time he’s not made a contribution in recent times has been against Atletico Madrid, although given how poor Barcelona’s defence has been, expect Ronaldo to add to that tally tonight.
#3 Positional Clarity
Apart from brief flashes now and then, Cristiano Ronaldo - the winger, is dead.
Also Read: Cristiano Ronaldo, an elastico, and the beauty of a singular moment
As he ages, Ronaldo knows he cannot beat a marker with the same ease anymore. Being the ever intelligent footballer, Ronaldo plays far more centrally now than before - and it's working. He may not have the same contribution over 90 minutes, but when the decisive moment comes, the Portuguese superstar is there. His evolution into a central striker might just be completed tonight.
In contrast, Lionel Messi is enjoying a fairly great season personally, but the Argentine's shift towards a deeper role in the last few months may work against him tonight. He looked a supreme creator in this role against Juventus in the UEFA Champions League, but the simple fact is that Barcelona did not score in 180 minutes against the Italians.
Taking Messi away from the front line imbalances Barcelona's attacking play, and its a waste of his talents. In addition, playing Messi deeper makes it easier for Casemiro to man mark him and retain Madrid's defensive shape.
#4 Mentality
If the last 18 months have reinforced one thing, it is this: Cristiano Ronaldo is stronger mentally than Lionel Messi.
The Portuguese superstar may not be as gifted as the Argentine wizard, but when the crunch moments roll around, Ronaldo bails his team out time and time again. Wolfsburg in last year's Champions League, the final penalty against Atletico, rescuing Portugal against Hungary and eventually winning Euro 2016, scoring the decisive goals against Bayern Munich recently - Ronaldo can be relied upon.
Messi's catastrophes with Argentina have been blamed on his teammates, but a great player does it himself if those around him aren't up to scratch. Even Barcelona's greatest ever comeback, the 6-1 win over PSG, had more to do with Neymar than it had to do with Messi. The Argentine spurned a ton of chances against Juventus as well, with his team crying out for inspiration.
In this El Clasico, Barca will be looking for leadership from Messi, but if recent history is anything to go by, they're better off looking elsewhere.
#5 Their teams
No matter how much we worship at the altar of the individual, football remains a team sport. Ronaldo and Messi have vied for the Ballon d’Or in recent times, but the two take greater pleasure from the victories of their teams. This is where Ronaldo has a clear advantage.
Real Madrid have been the better team this season – the table doesn’t lie. Zinedine Zidane’s side have managed to score in 55 consecutive games, and it is unlikely that Barcelona’s porous defence will stop Ronaldo from scoring. Karim Benzema’s style of play perfectly complements Cristiano Ronaldo, which should favour the Portuguese star tonight.
Lionel Messi has been more sacrificial of late, but it’s not working for Barcelona. Neymar has contributed the most to Messi’s goal tally this season, but the Brazilian is absent tonight. Luis Suarez’ movement usually creates space for the Argentine wizard, but he has been uncharacteristically quiet of late. With the rest of the Blaugrana misfiring, it’ll be much harder for Messi to have an impact on El Clasico tonight.
