Medals remain only goal

DESPITE the various dramatic strands swirling around Real Madrid and Barcelona this season, it was astonishing how much of it got reduced to a simple duel between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for the European Golden Shoe.

Less astonishing, however, was the manner in which the emphasis shifted in the Spanish media once Barcelona eliminated Real from the Champions League.

The Madrid press became conspicuously obsessed with the amount of goals Ronaldo could eventually get, the Catalans with the amount of trophies Messi’s would inspire.

Either way, both players have managed a remarkable achievement. They’ve become only the fifth and sixth top-league players to score over 50 goals in a season since European competition began.

The current record from that time is jointly held by Mario Jardel and Gerd Muller with 55 each.

But here’s the interesting part: neither gluttonous season represented the peak of those two strikers’ careers.

Muller’s records, for example, came in 1972 and 73. But Bayern didn’t win the European Cup until 74. And it was Muller’s two goals — among a lower haul in that campaign — that helped secure it. That also synchs in with his World Cup record. Muller scored 10 in 1970. But West Germany went out in the semi-finals. By contrast, he got four in 1974 but one was the tournament winner.

And this is probably the ultimate point. Such strike rates are really only colour — albeit, glorious Technicolor — unless they have end product. As ever, it’s the quality of the goals, not the quantity.

Messi, for example, would equal a record if he scores a hat-trick at Wembley. But it will feel awfully hollow if it comes in a 4-3 defeat.