Real Madrid's Emilio Butragueno believes that the difference in the win over Barcelona was Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s respective performances.
Ronaldo netted Madrid’s opening two goals in their eventual 3-1 win on Tuesday evening over a frustrated Catalan side.
For former striker and current club director Butragueno, the difference between the teams, in a result that hands Madrid a Copa del Rey Final spot, was the difference between the Portuguese and his traditional rival Messi.
“Messi is a fundamental part of their team, they rely on him heavily in the last 30 metres. You cannot stop him completely, but it is possible to reduce his input, and our system has had a decisive influence on him, so that he was not good.
“Cristiano was a giant. He was decisive, not only for the goals but for his presence in the game, which was constant. For us he is a man who shows his important every game. He is a constant threat for an opponent.
“This is a sensational result, well deserved. I think we were better and hopefully it can be the start of a positive run.
“This should give us a morale boost. Old Trafford [next week] will be the most important game of the season so far and after this victory the confidence levels will rise a lot.”
