Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo only players in Europe to contribute directly to 25+ league goals in 2018/19

What's the story?

Despite now playing in two different leagues, Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona ace Lionel Messi continue to get the best out of one another as the duo now share yet another milestone in European football this season.

In case you didn't know...

The talismanic duo are at the forefront in the race for the European Golden Shoe. Messi has netted 22 goals in LaLiga so far this season while Ronaldo has scored 19 in the Serie A.

The Argentine helped Barcelona go seven points clear at the top of the Spanish league table with a successful penalty but failed to add another goal to his tally as he missed the second penalty spot-kick during his side's 1-0 win over Valladolid.

Ronaldo, on the other hand, helped his side to a comfortable 3-0 win over Frosinone and found himself on the scoresheet with his 19th league goal. His goal also helped him achieve a rare milestone, having scored and assisted in three consecutive games for the second time in his entire career.

The heart of the matter...

Their exploits so far this season have led them to become the only two players in Europe's top five leagues to have been directly involved in 25+ league goals in the 2018/19 season.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the only two players in Europe's top five divisions to have been directly involved in 25+ league goals in 2018/19 🤩Who's had the better season? #Date360Blog pic.twitter.com/ymFCGR1eSl

— Date360 | #Naijablogger (@Date360Blog) February 16, 2019

It is beginning to look like the European Golden Shoe race will be a two-man battle between five-time Ballon d'Or winning players as it is only a matter of time before those numbers go up again.

What's next?

Both Barcelona and Juventus will shift their focus to the Champions League where they are set to face Lyon and Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Round of 16 fixture. While the Catalan giants will face Lyon on Tuesday night, the Bianconeri are scheduled to face Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night.