CRISTIANO RONALDO insists he and Mohamed Salah cannot be compared ahead of the Champions League because they are “completely different” ...
CRISTIANO RONALDO insists he and Mohamed Salah cannot be compared ahead of the Champions League because they are “completely different” players.
The two wingers have scored 88 goals between them across all competitions this season with Ronaldo looking to inspire Real Madrid and Salah hoping to spearhead Liverpool when the two teams meet in Kiev on Saturday (7.45pm).
Salah has earned comparisons to Barcelona icon Lionel Messi and Ronaldo - the most prolific player in the Champions League history with 120 goals - with his tremendous maiden campaign on Merseyside.
Salah’s 44-goal haul included 32 in the Premier League which saw him win the Golden Boot and break Ronaldo’s record for the most goals in a 38-game season.
The Egyptian’s profile has risen exponentially as the main weapon of Jurgen Klopp’s attacking arsenal, also laying on 16 goals in 51 appearances.
But Real ace Ronaldo - who has scored 40 or more goals for eight successive seasons, scoring more goals than games he has played in five of those years - dismissed comparisons between himself and Salah.
“It’s completely different. He plays with the left [foot], I play with the right. I’m tall, he’s a little bit shorter,” he told BT Sport.
“I play with the head. We are completely different. People want to compare me with another player but I’m different than anyone.
“Salah is different than the others one, we are different. But he is doing a fantastic Champions League [season], fantastic league [season], fantastic season.
“But Saturday, let’s see what’s going to happen.”
Ronaldo is looking to win the Champions League for the fifth time as a player and the fourth time in just five years with Real Madrid.
But he does not believe there is extra motivation to further certify himself as the competition’s best ever player.
The 33-year-old said: “I’m always motivated even if it’s my first Champions League or second, I’m motivated.
“Because it’s the most important trophy in terms of club [level]. I’m really excited and we have the opportunity again to win the Champions League.
“We are very excited and motivated. We know it’s going to be a battle but we are prepared.
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