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Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the two most popular names in the world of football. The superstars — who are currently plying their trade at Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively — dominated Spanish football for almost a decade, putting in unmatched performances almost every other day.
Cristiano Ronaldo featured in 30 El Clasico matches, scoring 18 goals and registering a solitary assist. The stats might look a little pale in front of his overall numbers for Real Madrid, but we must not forget the match-winning performances he put in, sometimes even eclipsing Lionel Messi.
Today, we will take a look at a few occasions when the Portugal international came out on top against the mighty Argentine. On that note, here's a look at
5 instances in which Cristiano Ronaldo got the better of Lionel Messi in El Clasico
#5 Real Madrid 3-2 Barcelona in the 2012-13 Super Cup
When La Liga champions Real Madrid went up against Copa del Rey winners Barcelona in the Spanish Super cup, no one expected them to offer each other even an inch of space.
In a match that featured Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, it was Gonzalo Higuain who opened the scoring, leveling the game 3-3 on aggregate. Moments later, Cristiano Ronaldo found himself one-on-one with Gerard Pique. The Portuguese broke out an insane backheel flick to bring the lofted ball in control before slotting it home past Victor Valdes.
Lionel Messi scored a commendable free-kick to cut the deficit, but Real Madrid quite easily cruised to a 2-1 win, winning the Super Cup on aggregate.
#4 Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid in the 2017-18 Super Cup
In the final El Clasico of the 2016-17 La Liga season, Real Madrid endured a 3-2 loss at the Santiago Bernabeu. Not only did the winning goal come in injury time, but it also saw Lionel Messi take off his Barcelona jersey and hold it out in front of the Santiago Bernabeu faithful.
Cristiano Ronaldo was helpless that night in La Liga. However, in the Spanish Super Cup, he shone brighter than anyone on the pitch. Cristiano Ronaldo came on as a second-half substitute and scored an excellent goal from outside the area, leaving Gerard Pique for dead. He mimicked Lionel Messi’s shirt-displaying gesture and held out his jersey in front of the Camp Nou. The shirt removal celebration inevitably fetched him a yellow card.
Funnily enough, Ronaldo dived for a penalty just moments later, which saw him pick up his second yellow and get marching orders from the match official. He was furious with the decision and shoved the referee to get a further 5-match ban in La Liga.
#3 Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid in La Liga 2015-16
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were determined to end their respective seasons on a high in La Liga, and winning the final Clasico of the season was at the top of their wishlist. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid suffered a 0-4 loss in their first encounter of the season against Lionel Messi's Barcelona. Now, it was time to return the favour.
Barcelona’s Gerard Pique was the first to strike in the match, but Karim Benzema pulled a goal back in the next six minutes. Real Madrid skipper Sergio Ramos saw red, as usual, which somehow made Cristiano Ronaldo hungrier. Just two minutes after Ramos’s dismissal, Ronaldo chested down Gareth Bale’s ball inside the box and slotted it home to give coach Zinedine Zidane his first El Clasico win. Lionel Messi and Barcelona could simply do nothing about it.
#2 Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid in La Liga 2011-12
In La Liga 2011-12, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi produced their best for their respective clubs. However, it was Cristiano Ronaldo who had the last laugh in the final Clasico of the campaign against Lionel Messi and Barcelona
At Camp Nou, very few players have had the privilege of being accepted without hostility. Cristiano Ronaldo, for better or worse, was not that lucky. During his stay in the Spanish capital, Ronaldo had always been ridiculed, and the 2011-12 season was no exception.
Sami Khedira and Alexis Sanchez scored the opening goals for Real Madrid and Barcelona, but it was Ronaldo who stole the show. The Portuguese took Mesut Ozil’s brilliant through ball in his stride and put the ball past Victor Valdes in the 73rd minute. Ronaldo silenced Camp Nou with his arrowing strike, and then produced his iconic 'Calma Calma!' celebration in front of the Barcelona supporters.
The goal allowed Real Madrid to establish a seven-point lead at the top of the La Liga table, which eventually helped them seal their first league title in four years.
#1 Barcelona 0-1 Real Madrid in Copa del Rey 2010-11
Cristiano Ronaldo produced some memorable performances for Real Madrid during his 9-year-stay at Real Madrid; very few were as hope-infused as the match-winning shift he produced in the 2010-11 Copa del Rey final against Barcelona.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were at the top of their game going into the match, but it was Cristiano Ronaldo - and not Lionel Messi - who helped his team to victory on the night. After playing out a goalless draw in regular time, the match was in added extra time — creeping slowly towards the penalties. Fortunately for Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo still had a spring in his step as he latched onto Angel Di Maria’s inch-perfect cross to give Los Blancos the lead in the dying minutes of the match.
The towering header secured Real Madrid’s first trophy under Jose Mourinho and marked the team’s first domestic cup since 1993. Winning it against Lionel Messi and Barcelona would have only made it sweeter.
