AS.com

The race for goals between Leo Messi and Cristiano in Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively is intertwined in the Clásicos, where both players have also scored unprecedented amounts of goals and are on their way to becoming the two most prolific goalscorers in the history of this special duel.

Messi, who has played several more Clásicos than Cristiano, is close to achieving a milestone he could only have dreamt about: unseating Alfredo di Stefano as the all-time top scorer in Barça-Madrid clashes. The Argentine has scored 17 times in 22 Clásicos and is just one goal away from equalling his compatriots record of 18 goals.

Messi has upped his game in the last three Clásicos in recent months, scoring a goal in both legs of the Supercopa de España against Madrid in August and a double in the league fixture in October. This took him above Rául's record of 15 goals, and now he is just one goal from eclipsing 'the blonde arrow'.

Di Stefano scored 14 times over 24 league games with Madrid's eternal enemy, scoring his first goal in 1953 and his last in 1963. He also scored twice in the European Cup against Barcelona and a double in the old Copa del Generalísimo against the Catalans in 1956-57.

Cristiano also pulverizes records

The Portuguese has scored in each of the last six Clásicos he has played, an unprecedented average. Like Messi, he scored twice in the league Clásico last October, in both the first and second leg of the Supercopa - including grabbing the winning goal -and also sealed the league title for Madrid last April by making it 2-1 at the Camp Nou and celebrated by famously telling the Barça fans to "calm down, calm down".

He has scored 10 goals in the Clásico in three and a half seasons, making him the joint eighth all time goalscorer in the history of the tie, alongside Hugo Sánchez and Juanito.