Money where his mouth is: Can Ronaldo catch Messi for Pichichi honours?
Nothing about Cristiano Ronaldo is unassuming.
Whether it be the chiseled, occasionally tangerine frame and perfectly arranged wisps of a tinted mane, the solitary goal celebrations or claims that he's the "best player in history," Ronaldo has made a career of matching dazzling displays on the pitch with equally sensational soundbites off of it.
When the Portuguese Euro 2016 winner reportedly bet his Real Madrid teammates in November that he'd finish the season with more goals than Lionel Messi, it was both characteristically grandiose and unlikely.
At the time, Ronaldo was a symbol of a Los Blancos squad faced with a dearth of goals. Ronaldo had just one goal to Messi's 12, and with the Argentine showing no signs of slowing down and sans history of significant injury, Pichichi Trophy hopes were a pipe dream.
Four months later, and on the heels of a stretch of 18 goals in nine La Liga matches, Ronaldo's 22 tallies are just three short of Messi's 25 with nine to play. He can't possibly do it, can he?
With Ronaldo looking to win a fourth Pichichi to draw level with Messi - and assuming the Barcelona star continues to score at a clip of 0.9 per match to finish with 33 goals - here's a look at the in-form Real forward's final nine matches in hopes of determining the prospects of a miraculous coup:
Las Palmas vs. Real Madrid (March 31): Ronaldo - whose 0.9 goals per match standard is level with Messi - pays islanders Las Palmas a visit Saturday, and if their first meeting in November was any indication, the Real star should prosper against the Gran Canarian lot. Ronaldo didn't score that day at the Bernabeu, but he did assist Isco's goal, hit the bar once, and dominate with 91 percent pass completion. Las Palmas also has La Liga's second-worst home form.
Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid (April 8): The capital city derby returns, and with it, an opportunity to improve on the 0-0 stalemate at the Wanda Metropolitano in November. Ronaldo wasn't exactly clinical, misfiring on all seven shots, and with a Champions League first-leg trip to Juventus falling five days prior, it's unclear what approach Zinedine Zidane will take with his now-healthy squad. Ronaldo has scored in 70 percent of his matches vs. Atletico.
Malaga vs. Real Madrid (April 15): When Andalusian side Malaga visited the Bernabeu in November, the full scope of Ronaldo's late-career standard was on full display: a frustrating penalty missed was followed by a match-winner 15 minutes from time. Sitting bottom on a scant 14 points with a return to the second tier a near-certainty, it's likely a Malaga team with La Liga's worst home record will again suffer at the hands of Ronaldo.
Real Madrid vs. Athletic Bilbao (April 18): Like against Atleti, the first match of the campaign against Bilbao was a goalless affair where Ronaldo continued his mid-season slump. In 17 previous league meetings with the Basque outfit spread over nine seasons, Ronaldo paired 16 goals with seven assists, twice recording hat-tricks against a side that has little to play for at this juncture, 14 points adrift of the drop and eight back of a Europa League spot.
Real Madrid vs. Leganes (April 29): The fourth meeting of the season between the capital city giant and the minnow on Madrid's outskirts, it's been a mixed bag for Real against Leganes this year. Not so for Ronaldo, who did not play in either leg of the Copa del Rey dismissal at the hands of Leganes, nor Real's 3-1 league victory in February, meaning Portugal's all-time leading scorer has only one outing vs. Los Legionarios from the 2016-17 season.
Barcelona vs. Real Madrid (May 5): If the football gods are in a charitable mood for the latest El Clasico installment, Barcelona and Real Madrid will vie for derby honours in a decidedly more competitive affair than the Catalan's one-sided 3-0 victory at the Bernabeu two days before Christmas. Ronaldo's 17 El Clasico goals are third all time (Alfredo Di Stefano, 18), eight back of Messi's 25, 17 of which have come in league meetings.
Sevilla vs. Real Madrid (May 9): Statistically speaking, no team in Spain fears Ronaldo as much as Sevilla. The 27 goals scored against the Andalusian side is Ronaldo's highest domestic output against any one club, and when Los Blancos' marquee man tallies against Los Rojiblancos, it comes in bunches: a four-goal showing in 2011 has since been followed by a trio of trebles in successive seasons and braces in their last two meetings.
Real Madrid vs. Celta Vigo (May 13): These two sides locked horns on the penultimate match of last season as well, with Ronaldo's record-setting brace passing Jimmy Greaves for most goals in Europe's top five leagues in a 4-1 victory that all but cemented a first La Liga crown since 2012. A year later, and Celta Vigo visits the Bernabeu languishing in mid-table purgatory hoping a six-point gap from sixth-placed Sevilla may be narrowed by the time May comes.
Villarreal vs. Real Madrid (May 20): Ronaldo has lined up against Villarreal on 14 occasions in league play, spreading a dozen goals out over nine matches, though only one in the last five. If the bronzed Portuguese deity is within striking distance of Pichichi honours, expect him to play, even with virtually nothing to play for in La Liga and a potential Champions League final appearance days later.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)