Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar or Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo? Which is better strike force ahead of Real Madrid vs Barcelona?
Six have been heading La Liga since 2014 and have won Champions League in both seasons — but who has better trio?
IT WAS on October 25, 2014 that the modern football landscape was transformed forever.
Luis Suarez had completed his ban and made his Barcelona debut — in a 3-1 defeat against Real Madrid.
It meant he complemented Lionel Messi and Neymar to form one of the great strike forces in world which won the Treble that season.
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Real Madrid, however, super striker trident of their own in Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo which had won the Champions League a season earlier — and would go again in 2016.
So, is the two trios have all been in La Liga, which has been better? The European BBC or the South American MSN?
Karim Benzema
The only big, natural striker among the sextet, he was actually the first to arrive in La Liga after Messi, who has only ever played in Spain’s top flight.
The former Lyon striker has scored 67 goals in 121 games, winning four major honours in that time.
Clearly on the wane, Benzema has been one of the most lethal out-and-out strikers of the past decade.
Gareth Bale
Real Madrid made him the world’s most expensive footballer when they paid Tottenham £86million for his services in 2013.
His relatively modest goal scoring record of 45 in 104 is miles away from Barcelona’s front three.
But his goals have come at crucial times and he was nominated for last season’s Champions League Best Player award.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Ballon d’Or and Fifa ‘The Best’ holder.
Ronaldo has scored 140 in just 139 games over the past three years — and recently scored the first player to reach 100 goals in European competition.
The oldest of the six is constantly criticised for being on the wane, but with Real Madrid on course to win La Liga and with more of a chance than Barca of a Champions League triumph, who would bet against yet another Ballon d’Or?
Lionel Messi
Just the 144 goals in 150 appearances for Barcelona in that time.
Messi won one of the two Ballons d’Or on offer — in 2015 — and the eight major trophies in the past two-and-a-half seasons.
Quite rightly considered one of the greatest players in history.
Interestingly, he is, of the six, the one with the longest El Clasico goal drought, having failed to score against Real Madrid since a hat-trick on March 23, 2014.
Luis Suarez
Started slowly, but soon showed he belongs among the world’s greatest strikers.
Suarez has scored 116 in 140 since joining Barcelona.
As well as the eight major honours, he also won the European Golden Shoe last season.
Neymar
Nominated for his second Ballon d’Or in 2015 and seemed to improve as the players around him got better.
His goal ratio is of 85 in 139 appearances may pale into insignificance when compared to those of Suarez and Messi.
But he is the youngest of the trio by four years and slowly become Barcelona’s — and possibly even world football’s — No.1.