It’s down to us again
Ronaldo and Messi face off with La Liga title on the line
MADRID: The two best players in the world will face off again, this time with the La Liga title on the line.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi meet today when Real Madrid and Barcelona play their latest Clasico.
The outcome at the Bernabeu could allow Real to virtually secure their first league title since 2012, or put Barcelona back in position to win their third consecutive trophy.
A home victory would give Ronaldo’s Real a three-point lead with five rounds to go and a game in hand. A win by Messi’s Barcelona would open up the title race and put the club back in the lead on the head-to-head tiebreaker.
“The world grinds to a halt to watch this game,” Real leftback Marcelo said. “It is huge, every player wants to play it, and people have been talking about it for the past month.”
Ronaldo and Messi, the only players voted best in the world over the last nine years, have thrived in Clasicos, and enter this one in top form.
Ronaldo has 12 goals in his last 11 matches for club and country, including five goals in the two legs against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Messi wasn’t able to help Barcelona overturn their three-goal deficit against Juventus in the last eight of the Champions League, but he has been having one of his best seasons for the club.
He has 45 goals in 45 games in all competitions, including six in his last six games. Messi is La Liga’s leading scorer with 29, five more than team-mate Luis Suarez.
Messi has the habit of being decisive when
Sharing the spoils: Barcelona’s Luis Suarez celebrating after scoring against Real Madrid in the season’s first Clasico at the Nou Camp last Dec 12. Inset: Sergio Ramos scored a stoppagetime equaliser to earn Real a 1-1 draw. — Reuters
The world grinds to a halt to watch this game. It is huge, every player wants to play it, and people have been talking about it for the past month. Marcelo
facing Real. He has 21 goals in 33 games against the rival, the most in the history of the Clasico.
Ronaldo has 16 goals in 26 matches between the clubs, the third-best mark behind Messi and Real great Alfredo Di Stefano.
Messi has been more than comfortable when playing at the Bernabeu, where he has 12 career goals. The only stadium where he has scored more, other than the Nou Camp, is at Atletico Madrid’s Vicente Calderon.
One of Messi’s most impressive performances against Real came when he netted a hat- trick in a 4-3 league victory in the 2013-14 season. He also had a pair in a 2-0 win in the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2011.
If he scores twice again today, Messi will reach his 500th goal in official matches with Barcelona. He would be the first player to reach that mark with the club.
Barcelona have won two of the last three games against Real at the Bernabeu, including 4-0 in the league two seasons ago.
Real enter this Clasico in much better form, having won six of their last seven league games. The only setback was a 1-1 home draw against city rivals Atletico Madrid two rounds ago.
Barcelona have won only two of their last five games in all competitions, with losses to Juventus in the Champions League and Malaga in La Liga.
Barcelona will be without the suspended Neymar, while Real is expected to welcome the return of Gareth Bale from injury. — AP