Suarez, king of the statistics

having the best La Liga year ever in terms of individual effort. But has Suarez been even better than the best Messi or the best Ronaldo? You can make a case for the Uruguayan.

For the record, the best Ronaldo was the one from last season, where he scored 48 goals and assisted 16. Ronaldo’s 2011-12 season was pretty good too, with 46 goals and 12 assists. But it was totally outshone by Messi, as the Argentinean produced 50 La Liga goals and made another 16 assists in that campaign.

The ultimate leader in goals and assists

If you want to make case for the 2015-16’s Suarez as the best ever season in La Liga this is where it starts. There aren’t any records of La Liga assists before 2004 but since then, and this includes all the years played in La Liga by both Ronaldo and Messi, nobody, not even those two, has ever led the League in both assists and goals at the end of the season. At the moment, Suarez leads La Liga in goals with 35 and assists with 15, tied with Messi. 

Ronaldo has never been the leader in assists, while he has being the top scorer three times. Messi has also been La Liga top scorer on three occasions but in all three occasions a midfielder has topped the assists, while Messi has produced the most of all strikers. Curiously, in the two years Messi has been the top assister, Ronaldo has been top scorer.

Assists and score, assist and score

Luis Suarez’s 15 assists are just one shy of 2014-15 Ronaldo or 2011-12 Messi. That’s Ronaldo’s best mark, while Messi’s best mark is actually 18, from last year and 2010-11. Suarez could pass Ronaldo’s best with two games to play, and maybe Messi too. Nobody in La Liga has had a season with 19 or more goals and assists. He also scored and assisted three goals – scoring four, in fact – against Deportivo La Coruna, a first in La Liga.

Suarez also ties with Ronaldo for seven games this season with at least one assist and one goal – Messi is on six. Messi has claimed this category in the last five years. Ronaldo has never had more than seven games with a goal and assist but he managed the same figure last year. Messi’s best was last season with 11, and in 2011-12 he had 10.

Efficiency

Suarez won’t get close to Messi’s 50 goals or Ronaldo’s 48 – reaching 40 would even be a push for the Barcelona striker. However, what Suarez lacks in total numbers he compensates in his efficiency.

Last year Ronaldo managed a goal every 4.7 shots, or every 2.1 shots on target. Messi recorded a goal every 4.0 shots, or every 2.0 shots on target in 2011. Suarez this year has scored every 3.7 shots and every 1.8 shot on target. He has the best efficiency record between all La Liga strikers with 15 or more goals this season, something that neither Messi nor Ronaldo managed in their best years.

The former Liverpool man may still lose the top scorer and top assister record, just like Barcelona may still lose the League and make his season a wash. But if that doesn’t happen it appears fair to say Suarez has been as good as the best Ronaldo, particularly as Madrid haven’t won the League in any year Ronaldo has been top scorer.

Messi’s 2011-12 numbers are a little superior but it should be remembered that when he scored 50, Madrid won the League. Perhaps what Suarez needs to do most of all is ensure his team win their remaining two games.

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