Gerard Pique Compares Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Eyes Real Madrid Final

Barcelona star Gerard Pique has praised Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo but believes his own team-mate Lionel Messi to be on another level compared to the Los Blancos star, whose side he wants to face in the UEFA Champions League final. 

He told BT Sport (h/t ESPN FC): 

"

I think that they are both amazing. We are talking about two of the best players, not just in the world but the history of this sport.

I always said that Messi has some talent that no one has. I mean, he has the ball and his speed controlling the ball. The ball doesn't go two metres far from his foot, it's always there. It's impossible to catch him, this talent I didn't see from anyone.

[Ronaldo] is such a different player, they are very different. He is tall, strong, he's really complete. He can do anything. He can do goals with the head, free-kicks, penalties, take one on one.

But for me it's like Messi is not human but [Ronaldo] is the best of the humans.

"

Pique was speaking in an interview with former Manchester United team-mate and BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand:

He also told Marca's Sergi Font (translated by Marc Mayo): "I would like to face Madrid in the Champions League final. Anyone would want to play them, and we should have more confidence, such is the legacy of [Johan] Cruyff."

It was Ronaldo and Madrid who came out on top when the two sides met at the Camp Nou on Saturday, with the Portuguese netting a late winner for Los Blancos after Pique had put Barca ahead, per Sky Sports La Liga:

Football journalist Dermot Corrigan praised the 31-year-old and noted his tendency to perform better away from home in El Clasico:

The pair have both been racking up incredible numbers again this season:

	Messi	Ronaldo
Apps	39	39
Goals	37	42
Assists	18	13

However, while Ronaldo may be leading the goalscoring charts and helped his side avenge their 4-0 defeat to Barca in November, Messi may well have the last laugh, as the Blaugrana are on course for a second successive treble.

There's a long way to go in the Champions League, though. Barca face a tricky tie against Atletico Madrid, while Real should have a considerably easier time against Wolfsburg.

No team has ever defended the European Cup in its current incarnation, and Real are one of the biggest threats to Barca doing so if they make it past Los Rojiblancos.

Nevertheless, Pique and his team-mates have every reason to be confident in their own ability even in the wake of their defeat, having previously gone 39 games unbeaten, so it's little surprise he would relish the challenge of facing Madrid in the final.

If they did so, the biggest game in club football would get even bigger.