A blistering start to the season for the Barcelona star is sharply contrasted with the Portuguese striker's questionable performances. Here are the statistics that show Messi is flying while Ronaldo's current form is awful.
Zinedine Zidane's men sit eight points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona, a difference that is underlined by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's respective displays so far this season.
The Argentine has racked up 12 goals in 11 appearances, while the Madrid man has found the back of the net once after sitting out the first four league games of the season. And it all boils down to their conversion rates.
Ronaldo has scored just once despite 48 attempts on goal in seven league games, meaning the striker, accustomed to better form in front of goal, has put away a measly two per cent of his shots. It is not easy to put a finger on why Ronaldo is missing so many chances, but it may be down to his shift in style towards the end of last season, when he became more predatory in the box.
Meanwhile, Messi continues to create chances for himself, meaning he is harder to defend against. Out of 69 shots, he has found the back of the net 12 times, giving him 17.39 conversion rate which seems unattainable for Ronaldo. In fact, even if Messi loses his magic touch and misses his next 506 shots, he will still have a better goals-per-shot ratio. Numbers don't lie.