Messi, Ronaldo’s goal-tallies don’t tell the whole story

Barcelona dominated the Champions League final for all but ten minutes. Ivan Rakitic put them up early on, but Barcelona couldn’t build any cushion and Juventus equalized. For a moment, Barca were on the back foot. But that’s not how Lionel Messi would have it. In the sixty-eighth minute, he got the ball on the halfway line. You could vividly imagine his pupils dilating. His legs, from a virtual standstill, broke away on one of his trademark runs. He was unmarked, but you can’t leave Messi space. So Andrea Barzagli stepped up as a sacrifice. With a shimmy and touch, Messi left Barzagli scrambling on the ground in his wake. Messi unleashed a twenty-yard effort and although Gianluigi Buffon parried it, Suarez was there to convert the rebound. The game was in Barca’s hands once again. They’d go on to win, of course, because they had Messi.

That’s the edge that Messi has given Barcelona. Don’t be mistaken, without him Barca may well still be the best in the world. But with him, there’s no doubt at the moment.

Goal.com’s Infographic

Messi has benefitted from the arrival of Neymar and Luis Suarez, somewhat counter-intuitively. As Messi’s body was stretched by a series of injuries, Suarez and Neymar have taken a large share of the work up front out of his hands. He’s no longer able to sprint for ninety minutes straight, but now can afford to glide around the pitch and pop up when necessary, which is still quite often, and lethally. Resource his brilliance, if you will. Suarez and Neymar have let Messi shine again instead of taking the spotlight.

However, the numbers do injustice to Messi. His goal count, five less than arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo, is misleading, not because Messi has made two more assists in the league, but because the Argentine’s goals have come from thirty-eight fewer shots, around twenty percent fewer.

Goal.com’s Infographic

Granted, it’s a testimony to Ronaldo that anybody can score more than Messi. And for a while, the Portuguese international was the best in the world. In 2012/2013 Messi scored twelve more league goals than Ronaldo but fell behind the next season.  Messi was played after being injured for a season and failed to give Argentina that extra push in the World Cup final. Ronaldo’s most recent Ballon D’Or illustrated the tidal change.

And there’s still little doubt that Ronaldo is a better physical specimen, for all the acceleration and touch Messi can offer. However, Ronaldo has taken the back seat in the rivalry because he fits into Real Madrid’s style with less ease Messi does at the club he’s spent his entire career at. It is, however, proof that Luis Enrique’s side has meshed.

Messi is back on form and there is no stopping him. He’s different but no worse than before. Messi is back on top.