Messi v Ronaldo – Who’s The Real Match Winner

The debate between of who is better between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is a never-ending one, and today we tried to find out which of the two is the real match winner.

Three Reasons Behind Ronaldo’s Dip In Form

Messi is currently on a purple patch this season after a reasonably slow start, while Ronaldo has arguably declined since lifting his third Ballon d’Or title.

According to recent statistics, Messi has an 86% pass percentage and averages 3.7 key passes per game. He does, however, do less work around the pitch compared to his counterpart and has scored less 'winners' for his team.

Here are the not so known statistics in full:

Odometer

·         Cristiano has run an average of 8.38 kilometres per match.

·         Messi has run an average of 7.6 kilometres per match.

Passing Stats

·         Ronaldo: pass percentage = 81.4%, average passes = 35 per game and key passes = 2.2 per game.

·         Messi: pass percentage = 86.8%, average passes = 63.2 per game and key passes = 3.7 per game.

Goal Contribution

·         Ronaldo has contributed to 39% of Real Madrid’s goals in La Liga, and 31% in the Champions League

·         Messi has also contributed to 39% of FC Barcelona’s goals in La Liga, and 51% in the Champions League

Winning Goals

·         Real Madrid would have four less points in La Liga without Cristiano's goals.

·         Barcelona would have two less points in the league without Messi's strikes.

Hat-tricks

·         Ronaldo has scored three hat-tricks this season, and hit four goals in another game.

·         Messi has scored four hat-tricks this season.

Messi & Neymar, Europe’s Most Prolific Duo

Using the stats above who do you think is the real match winner between the two? Have your say in the comments section below.