Internet Desk: Cristiano Ronaldo dismissed close relationship between Barcelona’s Messi, Suarez and Neymar on Tuesday night at the press meet in Rome ahead of the Champions League Round of 16 clash against AS Roma tonight. Real Madrid’s all-time record goal scorer had already been wound-up by questions about his form and lack of away goals in recent games. So when he was asked if it was Messi’s relationship with Suarez and Neymar had made them more effective than Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, he did not hold back. The trio known as BBC formed the most feared strike force in Europe has won the club’s tenth European Cup together with Ronaldo scoring his 17th goal of the tournament in the final .
But the following season they were eclipsed by Barcelona’s front three when Suarez arrived from Liverpool to play alongside Messi and Neymar. Barcelona’s trio scored 122 goals between them on their way to winning the treble. This season they have added the European Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup to the collection and their camaraderie off the pitch has, in part, been credited with the sensational form. Ronaldo has scored 32 goals this season in 30 games played in all competitions but has failed to score in 15 matches and not found the net away from home with all his last 16 goals came at the Santiago Bernabeu. When asked about his dry run on the road ahead of Wednesday’s meeting with Roma at the Stadio Olimpico he said, “ Since the time I have been Spain, there has been no other player who has scored more away goals than me”. When no one responded, he got up from his seat next to a surprised looking Zinedine Zidane and walked out of the press room with an annoyed look before his answer could be translated into Italian by the UEFA interpreter.