Ronaldo and Messi set La Liga scoring record
Reuters - Saturday 14 April 2012, 23:36
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel
Messi took their remarkable scoring achievements to new heights
when they jointly set a record for La Liga goals in a season of
41 on Saturday.
Portuguese international Ronaldo, who set the previous best
of 40 last term, nodded home an Angel di Maria centre in the
74th minute at the Bernabeu for Real Madrid's second in a 3-1
win against Sporting Gijon, his 53rd goal in all competitions
this term.
Messi matched him around two hours later by netting his and
Barcelona's second of the night from the penalty spot in a 2-1
victory at Levante.
The Argentine World Player of the Year earlier curled in
Barca's equaliser and has 63 goals overall, four short of the
all-time record of 67 set by former Bayern Munich striker Gerd
Muller in the 1972/73 season.
Already Barca's leading scorer at only 24 years of age,
Messi was characteristically modest in a pitchside interview
after the game in Valencia, saying it was vital to keep the
pressure on Real.
"Luckily things are going well [for me] but the important
thing is that the team performs well so we can challenge for the
title," he said.
Real, who lead Barca by four points with five games left and
play at their arch rival's Nou Camp stadium in a week's time,
also equalled the record for goals scored in a season of 107 set
under Welsh coach John Toshack in 1990. Barca have 96.
"The team with 107 goals deserves to finish the season with
the title," Emilio Butragueno, who played in Toshack's side and
is now a club director, said in a television interview.
Assistant coach Aitor Karanka added at a news conference:
"It's a result of the work of a fantastic group of players who
give joy [to the fans] and who deserve to be champions."