Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo faced off this weekend in a pivotal Clasico between the two superstars. While Messi's side Barcelona pulled off the victory, the result did not determine which of the two stars won the matchup for the week. Here is how the two stars matched up in a busy week.
Messi's week started on Tuesday with a Champions League bout against AC Milan. Messi scored the game-tying goal in the first half with his team trailing 1-0 and off to a sputtering stop. However, he was absent in the second half and failed to make an impact for his club in a 1-1 draw.
A day later, Ronaldo helped a mediocre Madrid side to a 2-1 Champions League win over Juventus. Ronaldo scored a terrific goal as he deked past Gianluigi Buffon and added a second one on a brilliantly taken penalty.
In Saturday's hotly anticipated matchup, Ronaldo and Messi both got off to mediocre starts. The Argentine was placed on the right wing where he was nearly invisible for most of the game. This is not wholly his fault as Gerardo Martino put him in an unfavorable position, but Messi was expected to rise to the occassion of the match; he never did. He misfired on a golden chance to give his team a 2-0 lead and had one fancy play in the waning seconds of the second half. Aside from that, Messi had no real impact on the game and remains in alarming form.
Ronaldo was frustrated by the Barcelona defense (and inept Madrid midfield) for most of the first half but burst to life in the second half with a few major scoring chances and a lovely assist on Jese Rodriguez's late goal. He should have had a penalty, but was never given the opportunity.
Winner: Ronaldo grabs a 4-3 lead after a week that featured two goals and one assist. Messi had a goal but was not at the peak of his game through two matches.