"That b****** doesn’t let you breathe for a second" - When ex-Barcelona star named Cristiano Ronaldo as his toughest opponent

Former Barcelona right-back Dani Alves once named Cristiano Ronaldo his most difficult opponent. The two players regularly locked heads during the Portuguese superstar's time with Real Madrid.

Ronaldo arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2009 from Manchester United as an established star. However, he would hit a higher gear with Los Blancos, powering them to the pinnacle of success.

Dani Alves spent eight seasons with Barcelona from 2008 to 2016 before returning to Blaugrana during 2021-22. The Brazilian knows all about facing the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. Alves went on to join Juventus in 2016, but left a year before Ronaldo's arrival at Turin.

Speaking to ESPN in 2022, Alves praised Ronaldo:

“Now that I'm no longer at Barca, I can say, I love Cristiano Ronaldo. He is the most difficult opponent I have faced. That b****** doesn’t let you breathe for a second."

When Ronaldo left the Santiago Bernabeu in 2018, he had registered 450 goals from 438 games for Real Madrid. He is Los Blancos' record goalscorer and certainly one of their greatest players.

After a three-season stay with Juventus - where he won the Serie A - the Portuguese returned to Manchester United for a second stint in 2021. Unfortunately, his stay at Old Trafford wasn't fruitful and he left the club in December 2022 to join Al-Nassr. The 39-year-old currently plies his trade at the Saudi club.

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What is Cristiano Ronaldo's record against Barcelona?

Cristiano Ronaldo regularly faced off against Dani Alves during his Real Madrid days

Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the Catalans' chief tormentors, scoring 20 goals in 34 games against the club. The Portuguese's famous rivalry with Barcelona's Lionel Messi added more fuel to the already volatile El Clasico.

Ronaldo faced the Catalans on six occasions in the Champions League, while representing Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus. He won two and lost two of those games, scoring two goals and setting up one more.

Interestingly, the wins were registered during his time with Manchester United and Juventus. As a Los Blancos player, Ronaldo never won a game against Barcelona in the Champions League! Both his goals were scored for Juventus in a 3-0 group stage win in the 2020-21 campaign.

The Portuguese's goalscoring record against Barca is a little better in La Liga. He scored nine goals in 18 games against the club during his nine-season in Spain's top division. Overall, Cristiano Ronaldo won just 10 of his 34 games against Barcelona in his career, losing 15.