Thursday, 23rd October, 2014
Real Madrid talisman Cristiano Ronaldo has played down his rivalry with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, ahead of the season’s first El Clasico on Saturday.
The Portuguese international, who scored in his side’s 3-0 Champions League win over Liverpool last night, has now found the back of the net 20 times in 13 appearances in all competitions for Real Madrid this term.
On the other hand, Messi has also been in fine form in the current campaign, scoring nine goals in 11 games, in addition to providing 11 assists.
However, despite the duo’s prolific form for their respective clubs, Ronaldo insisted that Saturday’s fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu will be between Real Madrid and Barcelona, and not a contest between him and Messi.
"It will be a difficult match because Barcelona are playing well", Ronaldo explained to his club’s official site.
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"I'm not going to play against Messi, I'm going to play against Barcelona.
“They are a great team. Real Madrid and Barcelona are playing each other."
Real Madrid are currently third in La Liga with 18 points from eight games, four behind leaders Barcelona.
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