‘Anyone would miss Cristiano’: Lionel Messi talks about his healthy rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo

When one thinks of El Clasico, the rivalry between the two top La Liga teams – Real Madrid and Barcelona – comes to mind.

Not just the teams but the players also undergo pressure to prove their merit. However since playmaker Cristiano Ronaldo moved to the Italian giants Juventus, fans miss the tough fight between him and Lionel Messi.

Real Madrid were on a high when Ronaldo was at the club. However, the UEFA Champions League winners are now sitting fourth in the La Liga table eight points adrift their arch-rivals Barcelona, who are at the top.

On asked about the points tally, Messi said that Real Madrid are a great club with a lot of top players but anyone would miss the goal-scoring machine, Ronaldo.

"At the beginning of the season I said they are a great club, one of the best in the world and with a lot of great players, but anyone would miss Cristiano. He scores a lot of goals and gives you many other things so it doesn't surprise me,” Messi said in an interview with Marca.

“The rivalry with Cristiano was very healthy and very beautiful for the spectators," Messi said.

Meanwhile, both teams Barcelona and Juventus sit atop in La Liga and Serie A respectively. Messi registered 15 goals to his name with 10 assists so far. Ronaldo, on the other hand, has 12 goals and five assists in Serie A.

In the next match, Juventus will next lock horns with Sampdoria on Saturday, while Barcelona will face Getafe CF on January 7.