ARGENTINA-PORTUGAL PREVIEW..............MORE THAN 'JUST' A FRIENDLY

                                                          

The 'two' best players of the last six years and two of the best players to grace our sport (football) lurk horns tonight at OLD TRAFFORD-home of MANCHESTER UNITED. The theatre of dreams has hosted some of the greatest matches in history. Tonight's should follow suit. It is no coincidence that the likes of Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo return to a ground that shaped their careers in the right direction. Since then, EL APACHE AND CR7, who were remarkably born on the same day but one year apart, have gone on to become mainstays in the various clubs they have represented with the latter the more successful.

Tonight, 'EL PULGA' MESSI faces off against his greatest adversary ever in football parlance. The Argentine soccer god has not managed to keep up with his Portuguese arch-rival since 2012 and he is still reeling at the fact that CR7 ended his reign as the best footballer in the World for almost half a decade. His penalty (45th International goal) ensured that the ALBICELESTE beat Croatia 2-1. A goal which drew him closer to BATIGOL's goal scoring record of 58 for the 2014 world cup runners up. Elsewhere in Algarve, Cristiano Ronaldo was leading the SELECAO to a 2nd straight victory under Fernando Santos with a rather scrappy 52nd International goal. Not one of his finest outings but it made him the highest goal scorer in EUROPEAN COMPETITIONS (+qualifiers), thus shrugging off John-Dahl Tomasson, who he shared the record with prior to the match winning goal. The REAL MADRID hitman who has rammed in 20 league goals in just 10 appearances this term, is red hot favourite to claim yet another 'WFOTY' award. 

THE ONE

 MR UNSTOPPABLE 

CR7 has the upper hand in the duel of the two all time greats this season. Real Madrid turned on the style last month when they not only ended Barcelona's record of haven not conceded in the League but also shattered their unbeaten record in the same competition. It was one of those games that could have ended 12-1 but Javier Mascherano was not going to get disgraced. EL JEFECITO who was stripped of the armband by Sabella two years ago, is one of the most underrated footballers in the world but he keeps posting very impressive stats.

No one cares about DI MARIA, TEVEZ, QUARESMA, MASCHERANO, NANI, PEPE, etc. The match tonight is MESSI v Ronaldo on the latter's old stomping ground. Messi has enjoyed success in Britain but none in Manchester. He has spearheaded clobberings of Manchester United in the past and will want to cement his reputation as the 'widely regarded better of the two' by beating Portugal and CR7 on a turf where the Portuguese was nurtured and bred. Cristiano will want none of that though, The goal machine wore a face cap with the imprint 'BORN AND BRED' upon his return to OLD TRAFFORD. His first visit in almost two years. Indeed, it is at the Theatre that his first major career movie was shot. It is at OLD TRAFFORD he was first celebrated as the best footballer in the WORLD. He has gone on to score 275 goals for REAL MADRID in 5+ seasons at the Bernabeu. Raul's seemingly unbeatable record of 324 will be smashed come next season. The man is unstoppable. Among active players, only ROBBIE KEANE has scored more International goals than the red-hot Ronaldo. He will look to add to his tally tonight.

Nothing will be settled tonight, The significance of this match has only been heightened by the fact that LEO AND CRISTIANO are representing their countries. Beyond that, it is just another friendly. NO? We are set to find out in a few hours.

Ohireime P Eboreime

@ohiskaka1990