Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Gonzalo Higuain: Who's the Better Striker?

First I need to begin this by confessing and acknowledging my bias for Barcelona. I loathe Real Madrid and admit I celebrated their loss to Lyon with almost as much joy as I do a Barcelona win, but which club is in possession of the superior striker?

I'll begin with statistics for 2009/10 season (both are from the official website of each player's club).

Ibrahimovic: Goals-15...Assists-37...Offsides-52...Yellow Cards-7...Fouls-62

Higuain: Goal-21...Assists-30...Offsides-32...Yellow Cards-2...Fouls-23

Zlatan has 62 fouls! Wow!  I looked at Barcelona's two key defenders, Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol, to see how many fouls they committed in comparison to Ibra.  Puyol—27 fouls and 8 yellows. Pique—19 fouls and 9 yellows.  Their total number of fouls is 48...LESS than Ibra by 14!  Higuain's foul total is 23, which doesn't really jump off the page at me.

Offsides 52 times! Yes, a striker is going to accumulate more offsides than any other player, but 52 seems high in comparison to Higuain's 32.

Castrol rankings this month moved Ibra from 32 to 11 and Higuain from 31 to 14.  I'm not going to try and dispute, refute, or say anything about these numbers.  Some player places on the Castrol rankings make sense to me and some seem bizarre.  I provide you with these numbers so you can make your own decision.

Ibra's got the cash flow on his side right now.  Ibra is bringing in nine million Euros per season while Higuain makes 1.8 million Euros per season (less than Benzema).  Higuain WILL make more next year—Manchester City is reportedly offering nine million Euros per year (but Real will surely match that.)

Champions league performances are open for much interpretation and agruement.  Higuain did seem to have a sub-par game against Lyon and is Real's scapegoat (rightfully or not).  Ibra has a reputation for tanking in Champions league and other clutch games. Thankfully he did score the lone goal against Stuttgart and the only goal at "El Clasico."

Remember, though, that Higuain is only 22 years old and Ibra is 28.  Ibra should have matured enough to have gotten past big game "nerves."

So, who's better? I like them both and respect each of their abilities, but on paper Higuain looks to have given more bang for the buck and honestly is the best striker in La Liga (yes, even over David Villa). Do I like saying this? NO.

I am a huge Barcelona and Ibra fan and it pains me to not be able to stick statistic after statistic down Real Madrid fan's throats about the superiority of Ibra. But I can't....right now anyway.  For now I patiently wait to see the Ibra of games past. The Ibra that gelled with the rest of the Barca team, looked interested not bored, energetic not lazy, and happy and relaxed not miserable and tense. 

If ever there were a time for a reemergence of his past form it is now!  Barcelona are fighting to stay in the Champions League and are neck-and-neck with Real in La Liga.