October 2019 – Page 5

Marcelino: Tearful Ronaldo said he did nothing wrong

October 24, 2019 | News | No Comments

The Valencia boss discussed Wednesday’s dismissal after his side succumbed to 10-man Juventus in their Champions League opener

Valencia head coach Marcelino said a devastated Cristiano Ronaldo insisted he did nothing wrong after the superstar was controversially sent off in Juventus’ Champions League victory.

Juve forward Ronaldo – making his Champions League debut for the Serie A holders – was inconsolable after receiving a red card in the 29th minute of Wednesday’s 2-0 win at Valencia.

It was a forgettable bow for Ronaldo, who was shown a straight red card following an inconspicuous coming together with Valencia defender Jeison Murillo in an off-the-ball incident, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner left in tears after his dismissal.

Discussing Ronaldo’s red card – which has put him in doubt for a reunion against former club Manchester United – Marcelino told reporters: “He was very upset, even crying, because he said he didn’t do anything wrong.

“I haven’t seen the play which ended up in the red card.”

Despite their numerical advantage, Valencia walked away from a packed Mestalla empty-handed following a pair of Miralem Pjanic penalties.

Pjanic converted spot-kicks either side of the break, while Valencia’s Dani Parejo saw his penalty saved by Wojciech Szczesny in stoppage time.

“It’s obvious that the penalties have impacted us,” Marcelino said. “The penalty just before half-time was a real blow, we then had to try and pull ourselves together.

“The other penalty was then a death sentence for us, conceding two goals to such an excellent team makes the task wholly difficult.”

United accounted for Young Boys 3-0 in the other Group H fixture and Marcelino added: “We have faced a great team and they have surpassed us. After the red card the match was made even. However, they’ve taken advantage of our mistakes.”

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By Tncse

Controversy Erupts Over Clothing Company’s Times Square Billboard Ad Depicting a Hog-Tied President Trump

October 24, 2019 | News | No Comments

(NEW YORK) — A clothing company is running a billboard in New York City’s Times Square that depicts President Donald Trump being hog-tied by a woman clad in its athletic wear.

The 30-foot-high billboard featuring a model binding a Trump look-alike with red, white and blue rope while stomping on his face, was put up last Tuesday as part of an advertising campaign by Dhvani, a Portland-based clothing company.

Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr, critiqued the media Friday for not writing about the billboard sooner.

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“Since you had time to thoroughly cover a stupid and tasteless meme seen by 8 people with incredible outrage, I figured you should dedicate the same time and outrage to this billboard in Times Square you hypocrites,” he said in a tweet. (Trump Jr. was referring to news coverage of a parody video, played during a conference at Trump’s Miami golf resort, depicting a caricature of Trump murdering members of the news media and other critics.)

Dhvani’s CEO, Avi Brown, told The Associated Press that the billboard was intended to be a comment on the Trump administration’s changes to the Title X family planning program blocking federal funding for health providers who refer patients for abortions. “We are on the right side of history,” Brown said. “The billboard is an expression of our First Amendment right. Its art is a symbol. We would never condone violence. This is about taking our country back.”

Other ads in the campaign show models taping over Trump’s mouth.

“He unilaterally has created a gag rule that you cannot refer patients with reproductive information about abortion, sex ed, and contraception,” Brown said. “He’s gagging doctors and nurses, and telling them what they can and cannot tell patients.” According to Dhvani, the model in the billboard, Michal Mesa, is a Marine Corps veteran and middle school teacher.

Due to the ad’s violent nature, there was some back and forth between Dhvani and Lamar Advertising, the agency that operates the billboard. “The client wanted to use a photo of the President but we said no,” said Lamar Advertising’s digital marketing coordinator, GraceAnn Woolf. The company insisted on a look-alike instead.

Brown said there’s been an increase of traffic to the company’s website, along with an increase in sales, since the billboard went up.

By Tncse

WeWork Co-founder Adam Neumann Pushed Aside in $5 Billion SoftBank Takeover

October 24, 2019 | News | No Comments

NEW YORK (AP) — WeWork is accepting a financial rescue package that hands control of the company to Japanese tech giant SoftBank and pushes aside co-founder Adam Neumann and his grandiose vision of changing the world through communal working.

WeWork said in a statement that Japanese tech conglomerate SoftBank will infuse the We Company with more than $5 billion in urgently needed capital.

Neumann reportedly would walk away with nearly $2 billion to sever most of his ties to the company.

“SoftBank is a firm believer that the world is undergoing a massive transformation in the way people work. WeWork is at the forefront of this revolution,” SoftBank’s founder Masayoshi Son said in a statement.

“Since the vision remains unchanged, SoftBank has decided to double down on the company by providing a significant capital infusion and operational support. We remain committed to WeWork, it’s employees, its member customers and landlords,” he said.

WeWork has been scrambling for cash since its attempt to enter the stock market floundered last month, a stunning fall from grace for a company that has until recently been considered one of the most highly valued start-ups in the U.S.

The deal throws WeWork a lifeline as it attempts to turn around a money-losing business model that had repelled potential Wall Street investors. But it comes at a steep cost for SoftBank, which already owns one-third of WeWork and has sunk $10 billion into the company.

SoftBank’s takeover would value WeWork at $8 billion, a fraction of the $47 billion valuation SoftBank had assigned the company in its last round of financing in January.

The contours of the deal mean SoftBank now has more money invested in WeWork than the company is worth.

“This is where the math gets confusing because they’ve put in more money than the valuation of the company,” said Larry Perkins, founder and CEO of SierraConstellation Partners, a management advisory firm that specializes in helping companies navigate difficult turnarounds. “That would be the question going forward: Is this good money after bad money or a preservation of their investment?”

SoftBank will pay Neumann $1 billion for his shares in the company and extend him $500 million in credit to help him repay a loan from J.P. Morgan., the Wall Street Journal reported. SoftBank also will pay Neumann a $185 million consulting fee, it said.

Neumann stepped down as CEO under pressure last month, but he retained a controlling share of the company, making his approval necessary for any deal. He will step down from WeWork’s board of directors but retain a small stake in the company.

“He gets a golden helicopter that lets him get out of this, and that is just remarkable,” Perkins said.

The SoftBank deal eases WeWork’s immediate cash crunch, but the company faces a long road ahead to address its deeper challenges, namely finding ways to curtail its staggering spending.

WeWork mostly makes money by leasing buildings and subdividing them into office space that it sublets on a short-term, flexible basis.

Since the failed IPO, WeWork has taken steps to shore up that core business and move away from the meandering direction it had taken under Neumann.

Neuman, who grew up partly in a kibbutz, had dazzled private investors with his vision of creating workspaces that foster communality and cater to the overall well-being of its members. The company launched side businesses including a fitness company called “Rise by We” and the co-living rental company “WeLive.”

Those projects now appear on the chopping block. Last week, WeWork announced it would close WeGrow, its newly launched Manhattan elementary school. Days later, the company scrapped a deal with a top Seattle real estate firm for a building that would combine its WeWork offices spaces with its WeLive communal apartment rentals.

WeWork, which has locations in 111 cities around the world, is also slowing its expansion plans. Last week, the company canceled plans to lease space in U.S. Steel Tower, Pittsburgh’s tallest building.

But the company could face an uphill battle to curb costs related its future lease obligations, which amounted to $47.2 billion as of June 30. Most of its leases don’t have provisions to let the company end them early, and the average initial term of its U.S. leases is 15 years.

“It’s a huge liability. There’s a very blunt option called bankruptcy that I’m sure everyone wants to avoid. It would be a last resort, but I’m sure it’s an option that is on the table if they can’t get out of leases peacefully,” Perkins said.

WeWork had few palatable options after pulling out of the IPO, which the company had been counting on to raise $9 billion in stock and related debt financing.

The company decided to accept SoftBank’s offer over a high-risk debt-financing proposal from J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., which had been the lead underwriter of the failed IPO.

WeWork was sitting on $2.5 billion in cash and cash equivalents at the end of June, but it burned through nearly $199 million in the first six months of the year just operating its business.

On top of that, it spent $2.36 billion on new leases and other investments, an amount that had been offset by $3.43 billion raised though venture capital and high-yield debt. A person familiar with the negotiations said WeWork had been on track to run out of cash by the end of November without the new financing.

___

AP Business Writer Stan Choe in New York contributed to this report.

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By Tncse

Mark Zuckerberg Defends Facebook’s ‘Libra’ Currency Plans Before Congress

October 24, 2019 | News | No Comments

(WASHINGTON) — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg endured hours of prickly questioning from lawmakers Wednesday as he defended the company’s new globally ambitious project to create a digital currency while also dealing with widening scrutiny from U.S. regulators.

House Financial Services Committee’s immediate focus was Facebook’s plans for the currency, to be called Libra. Zuckerberg took pains to reassure lawmakers that his company won’t move forward with Libra without explicit approval from all U.S. financial regulators.

Still, many members of the panel appeared unconvinced.

Rep. Maxine Waters, the California Democrat who chairs the panel, said the Libra project and the digital wallet that would be used with it, Calibra, “raise many concerns relating to privacy, trading risks, discrimination … national security, monetary policy and the stability of the global financial system.”

Furthermore, Waters told Zuckerberg, “You have opened up a discussion about whether Facebook should be broken up.”

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The social media giant has sparked public and official anger at every turn, from its alleged anticompetitive behavior to its shift into messaging services that allow encrypted conversations, to its refusal to take down phony political ads or doctored videos.

The breakup specter — the worst-case scenario for Facebook and other tech behemoths — has been raised by prominent politicians, notably Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a leading Democratic presidential candidate.

The Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission, the House Judiciary antitrust subcommittee and attorneys general in several states are all conducting investigations of Facebook and other tech giants amid accusations that they abuse their market power to crush competition.

Zuckerberg was on the defensive at the hearing, his first testimony to Congress since April 2018, parrying criticism but also acknowledging lapses. He conceded at one point that the Libra project is “risky,” acknowledging several high-profile companies such as Visa, MasterCard and PayPal had signed on as partners in the currency’s governing association but have recently bailed.

Under continued criticism of Facebook’s handling of hateful speech and potential incitements to violence on its site, he said, “We’re not perfect. We make a lot of mistakes.”

Zuckerberg held up China as a strong reason for encouraging innovation as embodied in the Libra project.

“While we debate these issues, the rest of the world isn’t waiting,” he said. “China is moving quickly to launch similar ideas in the coming months.”

The Facebook CEO also has cited competition from China as a compelling reason against breaking up the company.

His China argument found a ready echo from some Republicans on the committee, such as Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, who stepped up to defend the Libra project and urge lawmakers not to put “innovation on trial.”

But Democrats, in a rare tilt, allied themselves with President Donald Trump and his Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, who have publicly criticized the Libra plan. Mnuchin and other regulators, including Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, have warned that the digital currency could be used for illicit activity such as money laundering or drug trafficking.

Zuckerberg touted his optimistic vision of Libra and what it could mean for people around the world who don’t have access to bank accounts.

___

AP Technology Reporter Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco and AP Banking Reporter Ken Sweet in New York contributed to this report.

By Tncse

Dybala delights in his unique Ronaldo & Messi role with Juventus & Argentina

October 24, 2019 | News | No Comments

The Bianconeri forward is now partnering one five-time Ballon d’Or winner at club level, while he gets to play with another when on international duty

Juventus forward Paulo Dybala is aware of how fortunate he is to be “the only one in the world” who gets to partner both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

The Argentine star is now a club colleague of one five-time Ballon d’Or winner and an international team-mate of another.

Dybala finds himself in a unique situation as a result, with no other player at present able to boast such illustrious strike partners for club and country.

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The 24-year-old is determined to make the most of a favourable position which is allowing him to pick the brains of two all-time greats.

He is reluctant to be drawn into the debate regarding who is the best, with both Ronaldo and Messi bringing so much to the table that he would prefer to just marvel at both of their stunning skill sets.

Dybala told Il Corriere della Sera: “What’s surprising about Ronaldo is how much he works and his desire to win.

“There are no big differences between Messi and him.

“They are two great players and I am lucky to be the only one in the world who can play with both of them.”

Unfortunately for Dybala, Ronaldo’s arrival at Juve has threatened to nudge him down the pecking order in Turin.

He has spent time on the bench this season, but started and scored in a midweek win over Bologna which maintained the Bianconeri’s faultless start to the 2018-19 campaign.

“I am feeling well, I have self-confidence and with Ronaldo, it’s harder for our opponents,” he added.

Dybala lined up on Wednesday in a post just behind Ronaldo, with the South American happy to operate in whatever role his manager sees fit.

He said: “Sometimes [Massimiliano] Allegri wants me to play in a deeper position to link attack and midfield. It depends on the games.

“When there are defensive teams, it’s hard to have the ball in between the lines.”

Juve will be looking to the likes od Dybala and Ronaldo for inspiration once again in their next outing, with the current top two in Serie A set to go head-to-head on Saturday when Napoli pay a visit to the Allianz Stadium.

By Tncse

Lopetegui rues injuries as Real Madrid honeymoon period ends

October 24, 2019 | News | No Comments

Real Madrid have not won any of their last three matches, and Julen Lopetegui feels injuries have played their part.

Julen Lopetegui made a point of highlighting injuries to key players after his strong start as Real Madrid coach ended with three winless matches in succession.

After being hired as Zinedine Zidane’s successor, Lopetegui presided over a solid start to the season, dropping just two points in his first six matches across LaLiga and the Champions League.

But Madrid were beaten 3-0 by Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on September 26, which was followed by a 0-0 draw with Atletico Madrid and Tuesday’s shock 1-0 defeat away to CSKA Moscow.

The pressure on Lopetegui has started to increase, but he is adamant it is only a blip, pointing to his lengthy injury list after Dani Carvajal – who he expects to miss a few weeks with a calf problem – was added on Thursday.

“We’ve had a few setbacks and injuries,” Lopetegui told reporters on Friday. “Marcelo and Carvajal, who might be out for a few weeks, of course, Isco too.

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“And [Gareth] Bale, for example, picked up a strain [against Atletico]. These are things you see regularly with so many matches.

“Now we must overcome setbacks. It’s easier to make decisions with a full squad.”

Lopetegui does expect Bale to return against Deportivo Alaves on Saturday, however.

“He’s a key player, an important player. Luckily, he’s trained well,” the coach added. “He felt a twinge and it was good for him to stop, it didn’t get worse. That’s why he came off against Atletico and now he’s ready again.”

The former Spain boss was asked if he felt the criticism levelled at Madrid had been unfair or exaggerated, but he appeared to be calm about the situation.

“Well, this is Real Madrid, it’s part of being the coach of this club,” he said. “The players are working hard; the attitude is very good.

“There are always setbacks, you just have to overcome them. Over a season you have highs and lows – 10 days ago it was all perfect.

“It depends if you see the glass half full or half empty. I think in LaLiga at the moment we are tied at the top, and in the Champions League we had the performance against Roma [a 3-0 win], then we deserved the points against CSKA Moscow – hit the woodwork three times, we just couldn’t take the chances.

“We’re not here to analyse what people think. We’re here to see what happens day in day out.

“We focus on the game. We know what the club’s objectives are and we’re still on course, but we want to improve and I’m sure we will.”

By Tncse

West Ham vs Man Utd: TV channel, live stream, squad news & preview

October 24, 2019 | News | No Comments

The Hammers are in good form after a tough start to the season and will hope to cause an upset when the Red Devils visit the London Stadium

While the Paul Pogba-Jose Mourinho circus makes for great entertainment for rivals and neutrals alike, Manchester United fans will be hoping their squad can put the drama behind them and claim an important three points against West Ham on Saturday.

United’s 1-1 draw with Wolves followed by being dumped out of the Carabao Cup has the Red Devils aching for a much-needed win to restore some semblance of momentum, but it is unlikely to be an easy task.

West Ham have been playing well of late after a poor start to the season, beating Everton at Goodison, holding Chelsea at home and thumping Macclesfield Town 8-0 in the Carabao Cup.

Saturday’s early kick-off is sure to be a cracker and Goal brings you everything you need to know ahead of the fixture.

Game	West Ham vs Man Utd
Date	Saturday, September 29
Time	12:30pm BST / 7:30am ET

In the United States (US) the game can be viewed on NBCSN and is available to stream on NBC Sports Live.

US TV channel	Online stream
NBCSN	NBC Sports Live

In the United Kingdom (UK) the game will be aired on BT Sport 1/BT Sport 4K UHD and can be streamed through the BT Sport app.

UK TV channel	Online stream
BT Sport 1	BT Sport app

Position	West Ham players
Goalkeepers	Fabianski, Adrian
Defenders	Cresswell, Balbuena, Zabaleta, Ogbonna, Diop, Fredericks, Masuaku, Oxford, Rice
Midfielders	Snodgrass, Obiang, Noble, Holland, Pask, Diangana, Powell, Coventry
Forwards	Arnautovic, Yarmolenko, Perez, Antonio, Anderson

Carlos Sanchez suffered a knee injury in the 8-0 drubbing of Macclesfield, while Chicharito is also out.

Jack Wilshere, Winston Reid, Andy Carroll and Manuel Lanzini are all long-term absentees of varying degrees.

Marko Arnautovic is ‘100% fit’ to play after recovering from a knee injury.

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Potential West Ham XI: Fabianski; Zabaleta, Balbuena, Diop, Masuaku; Obiang, Rice, Noble; Yarmolenko, Arnautovic, Anderson

Position	Man Utd players
Goalkeepers	De Gea, Grant
Defenders	Young, Smalling, Shaw, Bailly, Darmian, Lindelof
Midfielders	Pogba, Fellaini, Mata, Herrera, Fred, McTominay, Matic
Forwards	Lukaku, Martial, Rashford, Sanchez

The big question over Man Utd’s starting XI is whether Pogba will feature, though it has been suggested that the Portuguese boss will include him in order to either vindicate his hostility towards the midfielder if he plays well or use him as a scapegoat if he performs poorly.

Marcos Rojo remains on the sidelines with no known return date.

Potential Man Utd XI: De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Lindelof, Shaw; Pogba, Matic, Fred; Sanchez, Lukaku, Lingard

Man Utd are priced 19/20 to win the tie according to Bet365, while a draw is up for odds of 13/5 . A victory for West Ham is available for 16/5 .

Click here to see all of bet 365’s offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more .

The Pogba vs Mourinho saga rages on in the Man Utd squad, with many of the feeling that either one or both of the individuals will have left Old Trafford come the summer – or perhaps even January.

The most recent spat between the two saw the manager strip the Frenchman of the vice-captaincy, only to follow up with a statement claiming he wasn’t the VC in the first place.

All that, of course, came in the wake of misguided comments made by Pogba after the Wolves draw and a frosty altercation between the pair on the training ground.

Fans will be hoping the pair will heed Dimitar Berbatov’s advice and stop ‘comparing d*cks’, however, with the Red Devils in drastic need of a return to winning ways after a humiliating Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Frank Lampard’s Derby County.

Beating West Ham in London, though, is unlikely to be easy. The Hammers have sprung to life in recent weeks following a poor start to the season, defeating Everton 3-1 at Goodison Park, then holding high-flying Chelsea to a goalless draw before thumping Macclesfield Town 8-0 in the Carabao Cup.

Manuel Pellegrini has a fine compliment of players to choose from, even with some notable injuries, and will hope the likes of Arnautovic, Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko can propel the hosts to another victory on home soil.

By Tncse

'Messi & Ronaldo the best but 2018 is Modric's year' – Dalic salutes Real Madrid star

October 24, 2019 | News | No Comments

The Croatia coach feels this calendar year belongs to one of his star turns, even if two multiple Ballon d’Or winners remain the world’s finest

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the two top players in the world but 2018 belongs to Luka Modric, according to Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic.

Modric collected the FIFA Best Men’s Player award this week to follow the Golden Ball he claimed at the World Cup for his inspirational performances in Croatia’s run to the final.

The Real Madrid midfielder pipped Ronaldo and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah to the Best award and is tipped to be a contender for the 2018 Ballon d’Or.

Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the honour in recent history, winning the last 10 between them, but Dalic suggested Modric could be the man to break their duopoly.

“He totally deserved it (the FIFA Best award). He was the best player at the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi, and then he won the Champions League and took Croatia to second place at the World Cup, where he was the most outstanding player of the tournament,” Dalic said in a FIFA interview.

“What more can you ask for? I know that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the best players in the world, but this is Luka Modric’s year.

“He’s our captain, the most important player in our team, and he’s won every trophy there is to win with Real Madrid. What he needed was a big result with the national team and he got it this year with that second place at the World Cup.

“He was the team’s leader, a real captain, giving his all the whole time. He deserves all the praise and awards that have come his way. He’s also a great person, a great professional and he’s in the form of his life.”

Dalic was nominated for the FIFA Best Men’s Coach prize having led Croatia through to the Russia 2018 final.

But the 51-year-old coach feels there could be more to come from his team ahead of the European Championships in 2020.

“We went all the way and it will be difficult to top that, not least because there’s so much competition, both around the world and in Europe,” Dalic added.

“We’ll give it our best shot, though. Obviously, there’s a lot of pressure on Croatia. The fans expect more every time and I’ve got no idea how we’re going to go out and top this.

“I do feel, though, that this is a team that could do really well again at the next Euros. I know we can play well, be competitive and give the people of Croatia another reason to celebrate again.”

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Mokeke reunites with Tinkler at Chippa

October 24, 2019 | News | No Comments

Mokeke looks set to make a Premier Soccer League comeback with a move to Chippa United

Utility player Thato Mokeke has reunited, once more, with his former coach Eric Tinkler at Chippa United.

The two previously worked together at Cape Town City and most recently, SuperSport United.

Mokeke, 28, has been in the wilderness since leaving United in the offseason and looks set to find a new home in Port Elizabeth.

“Yes I can confirm that Thato is with the team,’ club CEO Lukhanyo Mzinzi said.

“He has been with the team for over a week now and he is obviously known by the coach as they have worked together before.

“The intention is to sign him,” Mzinzi told Goal .

The highly versatile Kimberly-born man could add the much needed stability at the Chilli Boys as he can deputise across a number of positions including centre-back, left-back, central-midfield and also out on the left wing.

Other than City and Matsatsantsa, he has also turned out for Ajax Cape Town and has four Bafana Bafana caps to his name.

Together with Tinkler, they won the Telkom Knockout trophy with the Citizens and the MTN-8 with United.

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Ronaldo vs Messi in El Clasico – Who has the best stats, goals and win record?

October 24, 2019 | News | No Comments

Who comes out on top when the capital club meet the Catalan giants? Goal brings you the stats

El Clasico, when Spain’s totemic clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona collide, is one of the most eagerly anticipated football derbies in the world.

In Spain it is more than just a football match; it is a clash of cultures, a wrangling of ideologies and, of course, a showdown between the best footballers in the world.

Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi had been the main event as the world tuned in to decide who the supreme deity in the pantheon of the beautiful game was.

However, that is no longer the case following Ronaldo’s move to Juventus in the summer of 2018. Nevertheless, they held quite a joust for the guts of a decade.

Neither player will feature in the upcoming encounter between the clubs, but Goal takes a look at the stats to see who comes out on top in the Clasico.

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Games played	Won	Drawn	Lost
38	17	9	12

When it comes to Clasico success, Messi has been on the winning side more often than Ronaldo, winning 17 matches against Real in all competitions.

The Argentine has played against Barca’s bitter rivals 38 times in his career across a number of competitions. Of those 38 matches, Messi has tasted defeat 12 times and drawn on nine occasions.

La Liga is Messi’s happiest hunting ground for Clasico success, with 13 of the 17 victories coming in that competition.

In the Champions League, Messi has never lost to Real Madrid, with a win and a draw in the two games he appeared in.

Games played	Won	Drawn	Lost
30	8	8	14

Ronaldo’s success in Clasico games pales in comparison to Messi’s, but it must be said that the Portuguese played in fewer encounters, having joined Real in 2009 – a number of seasons after Messi’s breakthrough at Barca.

The 33-year-old was on the winning side just eight times in 30 Clasicos during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu, losing 14 and drawing eight.

Even allowing for the fact that Messi has played in eight more games, Ronaldo’s win percentage of 26.7% is significantly lower than Messi’s 44.7%.

Again, Messi comes out on top in terms of Clasico goals scored, hitting the back of the net 26 times in 38 games between the sides.

Most of those goals have come in La Liga, with 18 strikes in 24 appearances, six coming in six Supercopa games and two in the Champions League.

The only competition in which Messi has not scored against Madrid is the Copa del Rey, having been kept quiet in six matches.

Player	Clasico Games	Goals
Lionel Messi	38	26
Cristiano Ronaldo	30	18

Ronaldo is eight goals behind Messi in Clasico appearances with 18, but, again, it is worth noting that the reigning Ballon d’Or winner featured in eight fewer games than his rival.

Messi’s goal-to-game ratio is marginally better than Ronaldo’s (0.68 to 0.60), even though his Portuguese counterpart attempts more shots per game.

Once again, Messi blows Ronaldo out of the water in terms of teeing up team-mates in Clasico matches.

In addition to scoring 25 himself, the 30-year-old has set up 14 goals in his 37 Clasico appearances.

Player	Clasico Games	Assists	Chances created
Lionel Messi	38	14	68
Cristiano Ronaldo	30	1	15

In 29 appearances against Barcelona for Real Madrid, Ronaldo has supplied an assist for only one goal, which is damning when set next to Messi’s contribution to Barca.

As well as that, the former Manchester United man is statistically less creative, conjuring just 15 chances in comparison to Messi’s 68.

Player	Clasicos won	Goals	Assists
Lionel Messi	17	26	14
Cristiano Ronaldo	8	18	1

He may have come up second best to Ronaldo in terms of trophies and individual awards in the last few years, but Messi is the undisputed king of the Clasico.

The Argentine has scored more goals, provided more assists and found himself on the winning side more often when Barca and Real face off.

Messi has a better goal-to-game ratio and the statistics clearly demonstrate that he contributes more to the overall team effort at Barca than Ronaldo does for Madrid.

By Tncse

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Month: October 2019