El – Classico
If you are wondering about the blog's changes it's because of the heading all the colours are representatives of the traditional colours of the heavy weights involved...
Bros we have come to that time of the year when chicks are abandoned for the mesmerizing dance of the lights on a television set. The time when Osama Bin Laden where’s a Barcelona Jersey and drinks Heineken, when Prince Charles drinks Smirnoff Ice and is clad in only boxers, when numerous chicks sleep really early and curse football hehehe. The greatest footballing event of mankind is here again, the Spanish El-Classico (Real Madrid, original Spaniards Vs Barcelona FC, original Catalans) *Carlos Santana playing some sexy Spanish fighting duel music on his guitar*
This year both teams have by far the best ballers in the world: Higuain, Pedro, Puyol, Pepe, Ozil, Xavi, Iniesta, Di Maria, Sergio Ramos, Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Carvalho...e.t.c and definitely the best young coaches, Guardiola and Mourinho. But beyond this is the greatest Bro endorsed battle of all-time probably, to be the King of the Footballing World!! *Some Steven Spielberg movie soundtrack*
Forget Rooney, forget Ibrahimovic and forget Sneijder, for there can be no doubting that Messi and Ronaldo are the only two men who can rightfully lay claim to the title of the world's best.
Don't take my word for it, even the 'Special One' confirmed as much earlier this season when quizzed on the subject.
“There are two options," said Mourinho. "Cristiano, and Messi."
However, the outspoken Portuguese tactician, well versed in making outlandish and controversial remarks throughout the years, took it one step further by offering his unique view on who is the numero uno - a debate that continues to polarize opinion amongst footballing purists.
"If you consider Cristiano to be one, then Messi is two. But for me it is clear - Cristiano is number one," he lauded.
Ronaldo himself appears to concur with his boss' assessment, telling Spanish television recently, "I'm the bigger player,"before adding with a wry smile "at least I'm taller and broader."
"Messi is in a phenomenal moment right now - loads of goals and exhibition football," he continued
"The whole world seems to want to talk about Messi and me, but Barca and Madrid are not one-man teams. We are very different types of footballers, but I'm quite sure that during my years at the Bernabeu I'm going to be one of the best players in the world."
But the question remains, is Real's powerful stallion really better than Barcelona's scampering magician, and the current World and European Player of the Year?
Such has been the consistency of Messi's performances over the past two years, not to mention the level of impact that he has had in the games (does anyone remember his
Maradona-esque goal against Getafe?) that even the Spanish press are running out of superlatives for the boy from Rosario.
After a sublime hat-trick against Real Zaragoza last season, which followed a glorious treble against Valencia the weekend before, La Vanguardia used a plethora of adjectives to describe the diminutive genuis, lauding him as"unrivalled" and "unrepeatable". High praise indeed.
Barcelona daily Sport declared that "Messi is the God of football," while continuing the trend of plundering a thesaurus to find new and more creative ways of describing La Blaugrana's mesmeric No.10, by stating that he was not only"stratospheric", but also "divine" and "extraordinary."
Possibly the greatest compliment however came inside El Mundo Deportivo after they offered the equation,"Maradona + Ronaldo = Messi". No need to be a mathematical genuis to understand that one!
But arguably Messi's greatest quality is the love for the game he displays in every match he plays and every goal he scores. The child-like qualities he exudes as if he were having a knock about in the back streets of Rosario are to be admired most.
For Ronaldo, the Madeira-born star's greatest asset is his bloody mindedness - his unshakeable belief in his own ability and his desire - almost palpable - to be the greatest footballer of this era or indeed any era, which usually means scoring a bucketful of goals.
So while Ronaldo has bedazzled the watching public with his power, explosiveness and directness, Messi has enchanted us with his ballerina-like movement, his dribbling and his velcro-like touch.
Indeed, to compare these two very different footballing gladiators is akin to debating the merits of Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer in tennis. One a street-fighting bull-fighter, the other poetry in motion.
However, both are still masters at their chosen art. And that is exactly what Ronaldo and Messi are, the only difference being that they paint very different pictures. Think Monet and Picasso.
Both men come into the game in arguably the form of their lives with Messi having scored an incredible 17 goals in his last 10 games for Barca - during which he has netted his sixth hat-trick of 2010 for the club and his 150th official goal for Barca.
Interestingly though, Messi has yet to notch a goal or even an assist in seven attempts against teams managed by Mourinho.
However, before Real fans get too excited, the last time a fact like this was given due diligence - Messi's goal drought against English sides - he proceeded to net a towering header in the 2009 Champions League final to break Manchester United hearts.
Ronaldo on the other hand has netted 17 times in his last 12 outings for Madrid in all competitions, while he has netted a staggering 50 goals in just 53 appearances for the Spanish giants - achieving the feat quicker than any other player in Los Blancos' illustrious history.
But in yet another intriguing subplot - the Portuguese superstar has yet to notch against the mighty Barca in five previous meetings - even missing a penalty in the Nou Camp during the semi-final of the Champions League in 2008 when at United.
Another chapter of the 'Messi or Ronaldo' debate will be written in the Nou Camp - a citadel of football utopia - on Monday evening, with both men battling it out for centre stage.
So who is the best? We will leave you to decide...
