LIONEL MESSI VS CHRISTIAN RONALDO

Ronaldo, 27, scored the winner for Real with a cheeky backheel shot from around 10 yards out, which completely eluded the stunned Rayo Vallecano defence.And it's a goal that begs the question as to whether the former Manchester Unitedlegend is better than Messi with his penchant for the spectacular and versatile goalscoring ability.That effort was Ronaldo's 37th goal of the season from just 36 games, and his 29th goal in La Liga from just 24 games.In the league, Ronaldo has made 23 starts and one substitute appearance, scoring 29 goals. Messi, 24, has made the same number of appearances and has scored one less goal.And if we look at the goals Ronaldo scores compares to Messi, it's clear the Portugal international is more versatile in his goalscoring ability than his Argentina counterpart.Both are pretty much equal in terms of goals scored, but both completely different in how they score them.Firstly, Messi has scored far more of his goals in open play, netting just two from the penalty spot, whereas Ronaldo has scored ten penalties.That's usually a criticism labelled against Ronaldo, but looking at his conversion rate in comparison to Messi's, it could be argued the Portuguese winger has greater psychological strength.

Who's Better?

Cristiano Ronaldo

Lionel Messi

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Much was made of Messi's penalty miss against Sevilla, and a look into his statistics shows that throughout his Barca career, Messi has converted 20 penalties from 27 taken, at a conversion rate of 74 percent.

In his Real Madrid career, Ronaldo has converted 23 penalties from 24 taken—a conversion rate of 96 percent.Secondly, Messi has scored the vast majority of his goals from inside the penalty area, and doesn't have the shot power to be an effective shooter from distance.Ronaldo on the other hand is known in world football as a one of the best long-distance strikers of the ball.

For example, his goal in the recent 4-2 win over Levante from 25 yards out is something Messi has very rarely ever done before.

It's hard to imagine the diminutive Argentine scoring a goal like that, let alone one such as the 40-yard belter Ronaldo hit in the UEFA Champions League against FC Portowhen playing for United.

And thirdly, Ronaldo's penchant for the spectacular is something that's unrivaled in world football.

While Messi scores with expert finishes and brilliant chipped efforts over the goalkeeper, he's not capable of producing the wow factor in his goals that Ronaldo can.

Add that to all the pile-driving free kicks he's scored and various long range strikes and it's clear that Ronaldo is one of, if not the most, versatile goalscorer in the sport.

And that's something that sets Ronaldo apart from Messi.

He's scored spectacular goals from all kinds of distances, and has done it in both the Premier League and La Liga.Of course, whether that makes him better than little Lionel is up for debate, as Messi makes more assists and key passes, and completes more dribbles.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi is an argument which is endlessly debated in world football it seems.

But after scoring that phenomenal and audacious winner on Sunday for Real, Ronaldo's goal just has to prompt the question once again—is he better than Messi?

ThIS month was dominated by the Clasico showdown between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Camp Nou, with Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. coming out on top after the Portuguese scored the winning goal, one which played a key role in Los Blancos securing the Primera Division title in midweek.
Messi may have been overshadowed in the Clasico, but the Argentine racked up a phenomenal number of goals in April to overtake Ronaldo in the Pichichi race. But despite his goal-scoring feats, the readers favoured the Madrid hotshot as the better player last month with 8705 (62.54%) of the votes to 5215 (37.46%) for the Barca Ballon d'Or winner.
With the Liga season now in its last month, Cristiano's fourth win in succession means he has won the Head-To-Head series this campaign thanks to an unassailable 5-3 lead.

What a month for Cristiano Ronaldo, if not for anything, the fact that the pair met at Camp Nou, and Ronaldo came out on top says it all. Cristiano Ronaldo was a better player in the month of April.
Ronaldo showed what he can do when it matters. He single-handedly took Real Madrid to a victory against Atletico, then helped beat Barca with the decisive goal and also scored two goals against Bayern, but was unlucky to be beaten. Ronaldo should win the Ballon d'Or this time regardless of who becomes the top scorer
 Ronaldo scored in El Clasico, and that's what made the biggest difference. Messi has more goals and assists but when it really mattered, Ronaldo came through. I think Ronaldo had a better month even though Messi had better numbers.