Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema on one side. Leo Messi and Luis Suárez on the other. Two strike partnerships which have linked up or link up (in Messi and Suarez's case) very well on the pitch. Using ProFootballDB data, we analyse the stats showing their good work.
La Liga has been able to enjoy two of the best strike partnerships in history for several years. If Karim Benzema was the perfect teammate for Cristiano Ronaldo, Leo Messi and Luis Suarez are friends on and off the pitch.
Sharing the ball to achieve a common goal. That is what these four stars have done. At ProFootballDB, BeSoccer's database, their numbers have been analysed in competitive matches. Benzema and Cristiano on one side, Messi and Luis Suarez on the other.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema joined Real Madrid in the same year, 2009-10 season. Together they played a total of 355 games during nine seasons.
Benzema and Ronaldo have got fantastic numbers. Both of them put together either scored or assisted up to 710 goals, an average of two goals per game.
Numbers which saw the importance both have had. They got 173 assists when playing together (0.49 per game) and 537 goals (1.51 per match).
Benzema assisted Cristiano 37 times while the Portuguese set up the Frenchman 28 times.
Leo Messi and Luis Suarez are not far behind, in fact they have even better stats. The Argentine and the Uruguayan have been together since the latter moved from Liverpool to Barcelona in 2014.
IIn these six seasons, Messi and Suarez have played 246 matches together. Both of them put together have either scored or assisted up to 581 goals, an average of 2.36 goals per game.
Numbers which puts them among the world's best. Few clubs are capable of scoring 2.36 goals per game and even less so when you are talking of just two players.
Digging deeper, you can see that they score more goals per game (1.61) than the Real Madrid partnership did with a total of 396, and they assist more (185 assists at 0.75 per match).
They form an almost unmatchable partnership. Suarez has assisted Messi 46 times while the Argentinian has played in the Uruguayan 37 times.
This just shows the importance of getting on well and linking up with your teammates on and off the pitch.