It always seemed like Lionel Messi was going to be the one that will break the Champions League scoring record currently held by Raul, but the player who’ll probably be crossing that threshold first will be Cristiano Ronaldo.
Raul is still in the lead with 71 goals, but Ronaldo needs just one more goal to tie things up and then another one to move past him. This season he already has 19 goals in 12 matches (all competitions). In the league alone he’s at 15 goals in 7 matches, so people assume he’ll finish with 79 league goals or more, which doesn’t sound exactly human.
Considering how bad the Liverpool defense has been this season, especially when it comes to handling crosses and set pieces, it’s hard to believe Ronaldo won’t score at least one goal in this match. He’s had his fair share of success against Liverpool in the past, playing for Manchester United. Even without Gareth Bale, regardless of how this match will develop, it’s hard believing that a player in his form won’t be scoring in this one.
Lionel Messi? He’s fallen behind over the last two years when it comes to the scoring. He’s at 69 after his goal in the win over Ajax. Considering that he seems to be more involved in setting up other players for goals than trying to finish every time the ball is at his feet, the only advantage working for him is that he’s younger than Ronaldo, meaning eventually he might have a few years on him to try and break the record.
But right now? It’s only a matter of time before Ronaldo puts Raul and the rest of the scorers in Champions League history in the rear view mirror. Seeing how personal and individual records are so important to him, maybe the five goals scored by Luiz Adriano in Shakhtar’s win over BATE Borisov will motivate him to reach that mark as well. Messi and Adriano are the only two players with a five-goal tally in the competition. Ronaldo can’t have that, although that will take a truly special night from him.