In a league of their own

In The MSN Accommodation Problem we looked at the problems fantasy football managers face when they are deciding how to choose between Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar. Well, today’s El Clásico at the Camp Nou presents managers with a similar dilemma, except this time, they will have the unenviable task of having to choose between the two greatest players in the world – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, unless they are participating in a No Salary Cap contest of course.

Both players are likely to be the highest valued players with  most operators so it’s unlikely that your budget will be flexible enough to include both. Barcelona have home advantage and Messi would appear to have an edge over Ronaldo in most areas as can be seen in the Oulala infographic below.

Fantasy Football Portal -ElClasico

Of all the areas highlighted Ronaldo only comes out on top in terms of La Liga goals scored and shots per game. The odds are also stacked in the Argentine’s favour, with Barcelona’s expected goals calculated at 2.54, compared to 1.26 for Real Madrid, and the likelihood of a home victory rated as high as 62%.

So can Ronaldo score more fantasy points than Messi today?

The stats would suggest that it is unlikely but both players are vulnerable from the penalty spot, while Barca have the more difficult task to negotiate in the week ahead when they face Atlético Madrid in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

Perhaps it’s best to just sit back and enjoy the spectacle as these two superstars go head to head yet again!

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