RONALDO NA MESSI WAZIDI KUONYESHANA UBABE

Maybe they should just make a second golden ball when Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo contest the Ballon D’Or at the end of the year.

Here they battled for Spanish supremacy and the result was a dead heat.

After both players scored twice as Barcelona and Real Madrid fought out a pulsating 2-2 draw at the Nou Camp, Real manager Jose Mourinho said: ‘Saying who is the best in the world at the moment should be banned because these two are both such fantastic players.’

Anything you can do: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi shared four goals as Real Madrid and Barcelona drew

MATCH FACTS

BARCELONA: Valdes; Alves (Montoya 28), Mascherano, Adriano, Alba; Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta; Fabregas (Sanchez 64), Messi, Pedro. Subs not used: Pinto, Bartra, Song, Roberto, Villa

Goals: Messi 31, 61

Booked: Pedro, Busquets

REAL MADRID: Casillas; Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Khedira, Alonso; Ronaldo, Ozil (Kaka 81), Di Maria; Benzema (Higuain 62). Subs not used: Adan, Albiol, Coentrao, Essien, Modric, Higuain

Goals: Ronaldo 23, 66

Booked: Alonso, Khedira, Pepe

His opposite number Tito Vilanova said: ‘Perhaps Ronaldo would have received slightly more recognition if he were not playing at the same time as Messi.’

They now have 100 goals between them this calendar year and this season Ronaldo leads Messi 14 to 12. Both scored with their first shots on goal and both added a second in the second half as the Clasico lived up to its name once more.

The promised chants for independence came 17 minutes into the first half but Mourinho had stressed that this game would be about football and not politics. Almost to prove a point, his team almost scored immediately after the protest.

Dani Alves was left marking Sergio Ramos at a corner and the Real defender sent Mesut Ozil’s corner just past the post.

First blood: Ronaldo struck the first blow when he unleashed a fierce drive inside the near post

Ronaldo then became the first player to score in six consecutive Clasicos on 22 minutes when fed by Karim Benzema. It was a goal more in keeping with Barcelona’s style — Xabi Alonso, Ozil, Marcelo and Sami Khedira all exchanging passes.

Messi made it 1-1 eight minutes later. Andres Iniesta played the ball out to Pedro and when his cross hit Alonso the Real Madrid player got himself tangled up with Pepe and as neither cleared, Messi scored.

Back on terms: It didn't take long for Messi to haul his side back on level terms from close range...

...but Real Madrid cried foul after Pepe ended up on his backside in the build up to the equaliser

Madrid had never lost in La Liga with Ronaldo scoring — Barcelona likewise when Messi strikes — and the record was to remain.

Ronaldo led the charge in the second half and Sergio Busquets was booked for clipping his heels.

Big claim: There were several penalty shouts waved away, notably when Andres Iniesta hit the deck after the break

The Portuguese hit his free-kick into the wall and on the hour his nemesis had the chance from a similar distance and left Iker Casillas flapping in the wind to make it 2-1 to Barcelona.

Ronaldo tried and failed with a bicycle kick as Real pushed for the equaliser. Then, with 66 minutes gone, he ran on to an Ozil pass, drew Victor Valdes and slotted in the second. It was anything you can do, I can do just as well.