Cristiano Ronaldo is probably tired of hearing about Lionel Messi and will have a major point to prove on Saturday against Barcelona.
Short of somehow convincing Barcelona to hire Diego Maradona as its manager, not much can be done to stop Lionel Messi right now. The little Argentine is in the form of his life and deserves all the praise he's been getting. Most eyes will understandably be on Messi at the start of Saturday's showdown, but whether that remains true after the game will largely depend on Cristiano Ronaldo.
Lest anyone forget, there will be another Ballon d'Or winner present, who is enjoying a fantastic season of his own. In his first year in a new league/country – look no further than Kaka for an example of the challenges this presents – Ronaldo has scored 25 goals in 27 games, earning every penny of his record-breaking transfer and helping Real Madrid keep pace with the Catalan giants.
If Ronaldo hadn't missed nearly two months with an ankle injury, and perhaps been less generous with penalty kicks, he would likely be challenging Messi and Wayne Rooney for the Golden Boot, yet his exploits have been completely overshadowed by the hysteria surrounding Messi. Ronaldo has even been forced to endure his biggest rival being described as the best player of all-time.
For the past few years, the debate between these two incredible talents has split the soccer world down the middle, becoming almost a modern day Pele vs. Maradona. But Messi has achieved a certain level of unanimity in recent weeks that must be galling to Ronaldo, who not long ago referred to himself as the “first, second and third best player in the world”.
The top-of-the-table clash on Saturday represents Ronaldo's opportunity to prove that, at the very least, there still is a debate. He remains the more complete player with his ability in the air and on free kicks, though Messi is so devastating at what he does that that argument is beginning to lose significance. But the Portuguese star will be the more rested of the two and can count on the support of his home crowd.
When they met last November, Ronaldo had just returned from injury and squandered a gilt-edged opportunity before being replaced midway through the second half. But Messi didn't play all that well either, thanks in large part to the work of Alvaro Arbeloa. The former Liverpool man has a history of holding his own in this matchup, offering some hope that the Argentine can be tamed.
Then again, Messi is in a different kind of form right now and basing any game plan around stopping him is probably not the best idea. The hope for Madrid is to be able to overcome a great performance by the reigning Ballon d'Or, and possessing the only player on the planet still capable of outshining Messi is a pretty good start, especially with that player carrying an enormous chip on his shoulder.
Madrid and Barcelona long ago distanced themselves from the pack, but there are interesting races going on throughout Spain. Mallorca enters this round level on points with Sevilla for the fourth and final Champions League position and plays host to Valencia, while Sevilla heads to Malaga on Saturday. The Andalucian club snapped an eight-match winless streak last week with a win over Tenerife.
Elsewhere, Villarreal seeks its third straight victory when it welcomes Sporting Gijon to El Madrigal, and Athletic Bilbao takes on Almeria, looking to remain in contention for a Champions League spot. The relegation battle also rolls on with Real Zaragoza traveling to Pamplona to face Osasuna, while Tenerife and Valladolid meet in a critical match for both sides.
First Quest: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona
Saturday, 4:00 p.m. EST, ESPN Deportes and Gol TV
Kaka has come up short in his bid to recover from a thigh injury and looks set to miss out on Saturday, which must be bitterly disappointing. The Brazilian was brought to Spain to play in these kinds of games and had a golden opportunity to win over supporters once and for all. The meeting earlier this season at the Camp Nou was arguably his finest performance in a Madrid uniform.
The absence of Kaka means another opportunity for Rafael van der Vaart alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain, but it remains to be seen whether Guti will play from the start. Alvaro Arbeloa returns to left back to match up against Messi, which means Ezequiel Garay lines up in the center of defense, and Marcelo could be used in a midfield role.
Barcelona will sweat out late fitness tests for both Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gerard Pique. Ibrahimovic came off the bench to score the winner the last time these teams met. Eric Abidal is definitely ruled out after suffering a muscle injury against Arsenal, but the good news is Andres Iniesta made his return in that match and should be ready to start on Saturday.
Second Quest: Mallorca vs. Valencia
Sunday, 3:00 p.m. EST, ESPN Deportes
Valencia was the best visiting in La Liga during the first half of the campaign, but dropped numerous points at the Mestalla. The tables have turned since the winter break with Los Che struggling mightily away from home, which doesn't bode well for a trip to the Ono Estadi where Mallorca has lost just twice this season. The second defeat did come last time out against Barcelona.
Unai Emery recovered three important players from the injury list this week in David Navarro, Alexis and David Albelda. The onus offensively will fall on David Villa, who scored twice last week against Osasuna to reach the 20-goal mark for the third time in his career. El Guaje remains far behind Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain in the race for the Pichichi.
Mallorca did well to salvage a 1-1 draw away to Almeria last week, which kept Gregorio Manzano's side level on points with Sevilla for the fourth and final Champions League spot. Pierre Webo notched the equalizer late in the second half, but it would behoove Manzano to get Aritz Aduriz back on track, as the talented striker has scored just two league goals in 2010.
Ladies-in-waiting: Athletic Bilbao vs. Almeria
Sunday, 11:00 a.m. EST
Last week's thrashing at the hands of Barcelona proved a humbling experience for Athletic Bilbao, but Joaquin Caparros' side remains just three points removed from a Champions League spot. Midfielder Fran Yeste revealed on Wednesday this will likely be his final campaign with Los Leones, and he may not play a significant role for the remainder of the season.
One player Caparros will certainly count on is Fernando Llorente, who struggled against Barcelona, but continues to score goals with frightening regularity in San Mames. Llorente found the back of the net two weeks ago in a 4-3 win over Racing and is a big reason why Bilbao hasn't lost at home since early December. Gaizka Toquero could return to the starting lineup to partner Llorente.
Ladies-in-waiting: Villarreal vs. Sporting Gijon
Saturday, 2:00 p.m. EST
After receiving harsh criticism for fielding only one striker in a defeat to Malaga last month, Juan Carlos Garrido shifted to a 4-3-3 formation featuring both Giuseppe Rossi and Nilmar alongside Joseba Llorente, and the decision has helped revitalize Villarreal's season. Consecutive victories over Sevilla and Valladolid have the Yellow Submarine just five points away from a Champion League spot.
The impressive trio will likely line up together again on Saturday, provided Nilmar is declared fit. The Brazilian is struggling with a hamstring problem and could be a game-time decision. Garrido also deserves plenty of credit for improving the defense, as Villarreal has surrendered the fewest goals in La Liga over the past seven rounds with Diego Godin anchoring the back line.
The Impertinent Curiosity: Other Games
Malaga vs. Sevilla
Tenerife vs. Valladolid
Xerez vs. Getafe
Deportivo vs. Racing Santander
Osasuna vs. Real Zaragoza
Espanyol vs. Atletico Madrid
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