Cristiano one away from 50 goals in sixth consecutive season

Cristiano Ronaldo could become the first player in history to score 50 goals or more in six consecutive seasons this weekend.

 The Real Madrid forward has netted 49 times so far this season in all competitions, including 33 in La Liga and 16 in the Champions League, leaving him just one shy of the half century mark.

If he doesn’t manage to achieve the feat on Saturday in Real’s final game of the Liga season against Deportivo, he will of course have one more opportunity to get the record-breaking goal – in the Champions League final against Atleti on 28 May.

 That said, the Portuguese star has run El Depor’s defence ragged when he’s faced them in the past. In eight games against the Galician outfit he’s scored nine goals, while in the same fixture last season he bagged a hat trick as Real ran home 8-2 winners. At the Bernabéu back in January meanwhile, Ronaldo got a brace in a 5-0 victory.

 Having overcome the injury that saw him sit out the Champions League first leg at Man City, as well as the games versus Rayo and Real Sociedad, the mercurial striker showed he was back on top form with his two goals against Valencia on Sunday, just in time for the final two games of the campaign. What’s more, he’ll get the chance to equal – or better – his own 17 goal record in the Champions League when Real travel to Milan later this month.

 The magnitude of Ronaldo’s remarkable goal scoring achievements becomes ever more impressive when measured up against the world’s other top forwards. Unsurprisingly, the only player who gets near the Madrid man’s numbers is Messi. The Argentine has scored 326 goals during the last six seasons, bagging more than 50 in only three of those campaigns (58 in 2014-15, 50 in 2012-13 and 73 in 2011-12). He’s netted a mere 41 this season so far.

 Messi’s teammate Luis Suarez – who could beat Ronaldo to this year’s Golden Boot – has scored nine goals more than the Portuguese in all competitions this season. However, this is the first time in his career he’s managed to pass the 50 goal mark. Lewandowski and Ibrahimovic, on the other hand, have never reached such an impressive tally.