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Arguably the two greatest players ever to play the sport, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have once again started the new season with a bang. Lionel Messi was injured at the start of the season and made his comeback in the UEFA Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund. Ronaldo, on the other hand, has struggled with few injuries too. The Portuguese winger was not able to play for the full 90 minutes in his last two club games for Juventus.
Both have been back amongst the goals in the past few games. The bar set by the duo is very high and it looks likely that as the season progresses, both of them will once again finish as two of the best players in Europe. Despite the injuries, the debate between the two greats has not stopped. The comparison between the two is still the most talked about topic amongst the fans.
Here is a statistical comparison between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the ongoing season so far. Only league performances have been take into consideration for this particular piece.
1. Offensive stats
Cristiano Ronaldo
Appearances- 10
Minutes played- 865
Goals scored- 5
Assists- 1
xG90 (Expected goals)- 0.61
Dribbles per game- 1.5
Offsides per game- 1.1
Fouled per game- 1.9
Shots per game- 5.7
Lionel Messi
Appearances- 6
Minutes played- 541
Goals scored- 8
Assists- 4
xG90 (Expected goals)- 0.82
Dribbles per game- 4.3
Offsides per game- 0.4
Fouled per game- 1.0
Shots per game- 4.0
Statistically, Messi has had a better start to his league campaign as compared to Ronaldo. However, it is to be noted that since returning from injury, Messi has played the following teams in the league: Levante, Eibar, Celta Vigo, Sevilla, Villarreal. Granada and Real Valladolid.
On the other hand, Ronaldo has faced the following teams in Serie A: AC Milan, Torino, Genoa, Bologna, Inter Milan, SPAL 2013, Verona, and Fiorentina.
Clearly, the teams Ronaldo has faced are far more difficult to play against than the teams which Messi has faced. This can be one of the reasons behind Messi being ahead of Ronaldo as far as the league form is concerned.
2. Passing Stats
Over the years, Messi has always been a better passer than Cristiano Ronaldo. It has been no different this season so far.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Appearances- 10.
Minutes played- 865
Passes per game- 36.4
Key passes per game- 2.3
Crosses per game- 0.1
Long balls per game- 0.9
Lionel Messi
Appearances- 6
Minutes played- 541
Passes per game- 49.9
Key passes per game- 1.5
Crosses per game- 0.1
Long balls per game- 2.1
The season is still very fresh and there is a long way to go. However, as it stands, Messi has started the season on a better note as compared to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Also check out:La liga table 2019-20 Seria A table Champions league top scorers
