What’s the story?
Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng considers Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi the toughest attacker he has ever faced, followed closely by Real Madrid talisman Cristiano Ronaldo. In an interview with German magazine Sport Bild, Boateng was asked who was the toughest player he had ever played against and replied, "Messi and Ronaldo are the toughest, but I would also place Eden Hazard of Chelsea, Neymar of Barcelona and Karim Benzema of Real Madrid on the list.”
“Messi simply cannot be stopped by yourself. Ronaldo is easier because he is more about athletic prowess. But Ronaldo has changed his game. He now focuses less on dribbling and more on the end product. That is more difficult to defend against because he has incredible timing.”
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In case you didn’t know...
Jerome Boateng has been up against Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in plenty of high-profile games in recent years. In perhaps his most infamous moment, the German defender was turned inside out by Messi in the Camp Nou in one of the Barcelona star's best ever goals in the UEFA Champions League. Boateng has spoken about the difficulty of facing Ronaldo and Messi in the past, saying "Ronaldo, Messi, Suarez, Neymar -- they can all smell if you're afraid to duel with them. One whiff and then they destroy you. So you gotta show up."
The heart of the matter
Bayern Munich’s 28-year-old centre-back has endured a fairly disappointing season, as injuries have meant he has made only 13 appearances for the Bavarians. It has led to transfer speculation about Boateng, who also used the interview to note that his future was at Munich.
Despite claiming that facing Ronaldo is easier, Boateng faced the wrath of the Real Madrid superstar in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, as he plundered 5 goals in two games against Bayern.
However, the memory of Messi leaving Boateng on his backside in one of the most high-profile games in recent memory will not go away, and that has probably influenced Boateng’s choice.
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Author’s Take
The Ronaldo vs Messi debate will probably continue forever, but Boateng is perhaps best placed to answer it. The German defender is one of the best in the world, and has faced both of them on a number of occasions in the recent past. It is telling that the Bayern star has opted for Messi, despite the fact that Ronaldo put 5 goals past him just a month back.
