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| On the left is Cristiano Ronaldo and on the right is Lionel Messi. (www.bigsoccer.com) |
It is Messi vs Ronaldo
One would agree that for the past three years, the faces of the El Classico have been Chirstiano Ronaldo for Real Madrid and Lionel Messi for Barcelona. The two players have taken the rivalry to another level, with both players contending for the Best Player in the world award. The media on the other hand have narrowed the rivalry match to a Ronaldo versus Messi, the hype around the match has enormously increased as both players have become favourites to even people who do not follow soccer. Pressure has also mounted for the two players and their teams as they are expected to come to the party and perform according to the standard of the El Classico because previous El Classicos have never lived to disappoint. The previous match was won by Real Madrid, in a match where the two players lived up to their names so the coming one will not have any less expectations.
The world is watching
Sunday's meeting between the two teams will be at Nou Camp, Barcelona's home, where a 99 000 seat stadium will be fully packed as tickets got sold out in only four days. The match will be televised on ESPN and SupperSport 3 where a total of 400 million viewership is predicted between the two television channels. With so much viewership, the two Spanish teams are expected to be focused and show commitment as people have put their hearts on the match. Real Madrid manager, Jose Mourinho said at a conference, "it is a game we love to play and it is not just us, but, surely for them also. In this sense, it is definitely more than a normal league match." I must say that this time it is very difficult to predict which team will come out victorious as both clubs have displayed excellent quality football in their previous encounter.
Head-to-head results
- Barcelona wins 65
- Real Madrid wins 69
- Draws 31
- Barcelona goals 263
- Real Madrid 267
