Ronaldo romp rekindles Messi scoring duel
Print Edition
CRISTIANO Ronaldo’s devastating five-goal performance on Sunday has rekindled his ongoing duel with rival Lionel Messi to see which star ends the season as the Spanish league’s top scorer.
Messi will get his turn to torment a struggling Almeria tomorrow, when Barcelona aims to protect its four-point lead over Ronaldo’s Real Madrid at the top of the standings.
Later that evening, Real crosses the Spanish capital to face Rayo Vallecano and looks to maintain its momentum from Sunday when Ronaldo struck five times in its 9-1 destruction of Granada.
“We are prepared to win all our games until the end of the season,” said Real’s Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez. “We have the talent and the confidence to do so.”
Messi and Ronaldo have led the Spanish league in scoring for the past five seasons, and this year is proving to be the most intense shootout of all.
Ronaldo surged ahead at the start of the campaign for what appeared to be an unassailable lead of 23 goals to Messi’s 13 through 15 rounds.
Messi then went on a scoring streak of his own to help Barcelona move ahead of Real in the standings and edge Ronaldo 32-30 in their individual contest.
But Ronaldo has struck six goals in his last two games, including his first career five-goal match, to take a 36-32 lead. Messi, meanwhile, went scoreless on Sunday as Barcelona edged Celta Vigo 1-0 away.
Ronaldo should get opportunities to increase his goal tally against a Rayo side that likes to live dangerously with its high defensive line and pressing style.
But despite conceding the fourth most goals, 51, of the 20-team league, Rayo has risen to ninth place after winning its last three games overall and the last four at Vallecas Stadium.
Rayo’s run has been led by forward Alberto Bueno, who has scored eight of his team-high 16 goals in his last seven games.
“Beating Real is obviously a huge challenge, but we are in very good form right now and when we are playing like this we are unpredictable,” said Rayo coach Paco Jemez. “We have tons of respect for Real, but not one bit of fear. If they have to put five goals past us, so be it, because they are very good, but we will go out there to win.”
Meanwhile, Luis Enrique and Sergi Barjuan spent seven years together as Barcelona players. Now as coaches, the former teammates will turn rivals when Almeria visits Camp Nou.
Sergi was named Almeria’s third coach of the season yesterday. The club says he will be on the sideline come tomorrow “if all the necessary paperwork is complete”.
Sergi inherits a team winless in seven rounds and in the relegation zone.
The 43-year-old replaced Juan Ignacio Martinez, who was fired on Sunday, a day after Almeria lost 1-4 at home to Levante.
Sergi spent nine years at Barcelona as a defender and played in two World Cups for Spain.
Almeria fired its first manager of the season, Francisco Rodriguez, in December.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
