Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are just weeks away from renewing their scintillating rivalry in El Clasico. The two superstars for Real Madrid and Barcelona are among the top scorers in this epic rivalry and both will be looking to give their respective teams a lift. 

Messi currently ranks as the top scorer in the Clasico with 21 strikes while Ronaldo is seventh on the list with 13. Granted, Messi has more appearances with Ronaldo, but his results are staggering to be sure.

Over the last few years, the two superstars have managed to bring their performances in the Clasicos to unprecedented heights.

In the most recent Spanish League tilt, one player has come on top: Messi finished with a hat trick, including two penalty goals. Ronaldo scored just one goal as his team lost 4-3. He did, however, play poorly in the other two Clasicos of 2013-14. He was invisible as his team strolled to a 2-1 lead at home in the fall Clasico and then failed to have any impact in the all-important Copa del Rey final.

Ronaldo has actually struggled even more in the matchup between the two sides. He scored just one goal in the last two games between the two sides and he was unable to play in the Copa del Rey final. However, his statistics in the Clasico during the 2012-13 season were terrific. He scored two goals in the 2012 Spanish Super Cup before scoring a double in the 2-2 draw at the Camp Nou in the fall. Then Ronaldo scored two big goals in the second leg of the Copa del Rey matchup against Los Cules. In total, he scored six goals in five games against Barcelona in that season.

Which player is more likely to dominate in the upcoming matchup?

Ronaldo has transformed into a completely dominant goal scorer this season. Not that he was not already there, but he seems to have upped the ante significantly. He has 13 goals and one assist in the Spanish League in just six games. That includes three hat tricks. And that is just in the Spanish League. He has another four goals in other competitions and has a grand total of 17 goals in 11 appearances.

Meanwhile, Messi has turned into a provider. His goal score has dropped a bit this year as he has only put the ball in the net six times in seven games. Most players would kill for that statistic, but Messi is usually scoring a lot more than that.

However, he has put up six assists in seven games, as well, and over nine matches in all competitions he has seven goals and seven assists. These are by no means pedestrian numbers.

So who is favored in this matchup? Recent history would indicate that Messi should have a bigger night, but will he add to his total goals scored? He still has the goal-scoring prowess, but he has not used it as much this year. It has helped Barcelona overall and could create more issues for Real Madrid.

However, Ronaldo cannot be counted out. The Portuguese star is on fire. He even scored a clutch goal for his nation in the qualifier, a truly rare sight. Ronaldo is in the best scoring form of his life and he can practically smell his third Ballon d'Or. He knows that a big performance against Messi and company would all but cement his place as the reigning winner of the big individual award. He also knows that a big performance against his team's biggest rivals would be a huge boost toward his team's poor start and give them a chance to get back into the title race.

Predictions

Expect Ronaldo to score the goals and Messi to get at least an assist or two.