Cristiano and Messi, a term of records

Nineteen straight wins for Ancelotti’s Real Madrid, who have passed from their Champions League group in devastating fashion. Six matches, six wins, 16 goals scored, two goals conceded. They are happy days for Madrid, for whom we can now propose another frontier – the 24 consecutive victories achieved by Coritiba in 2011 in the Copa de Brasil and Campeonato Paranaense. It is not the same as here, with La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League, but it is still a challenge. And since Roncero proposed Zambian striker Chitalu’s record as an exotic target for Messi in this very newspaper, it is no more that we propose to Real Madrid that new distance: 25 wins.

There are some people who complain that we speak a lot about records these days, but since Madrid and Barça always win (or nearly always), it seems natural that they require something more. And that is typical of large institutions and of great sportsmen accepting challenges. Faced with the marker of victories that Barça had, which is now held by Madrid, there are the two of Messi; firstly the record of most goals in La Liga, which was held by Zarra and now has been raised to 256, and secondly the Champions League one which was set by Raúl and previously Di Stéfano, which is now set at 74. Cristiano, with his goal from last night, is now on 72. Here is a record which has historically been the domain of Real Madrid that Cristiano is required to recover.

Oblivious to the records, game by game, Atlético have gotten themselves into the knockout stages as group winners. They started by losing in Athens and yet still could permit themselves yesterday to shirk a little bit in Turin on the final Champions League group stage matchday. They left the responsibility to a Juve team that, frankly, made some effort but did not fall. Jesús Gallego complained on Carrusel, with reason, of the little chicha of these group phases and that they were welcomed with open arms to the knockout phases. And that football has become unbalanced so that it is beginning to become populated with matches of little interest. Therefore we speak of records, if you will forgive us.

from Últimas noticias | Diario AS http://ift.tt/1yOy6sJ

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