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Rooney takes on Messi in clash of goalscoring titans

| 07.06.2010

The debate about the best player in the world has revolved incessantly around two players this year, but no amount of superlatives or accolades can separate them.

You, however, can back one of them as they go head-to-head in our new goalscorer match betting market, Wayne Rooney vs Lionel Messi.

PFA Player of the Year Rooney tormented opposition defenders as he notched 26 Premier League goals this season, while Messi was similarly prolific with a record-equalling 34 strikes in La Liga.

Rooney is 5/6 to outscore his Argentine counterpart, and the Manchester United forward is also a convincing 11/8 to be England’s top scorer.

Barcelona’s Messi, meanwhile, is 9/1 to become the first Argentine to win the Golden Shoe since Mario Kempes claimed the award in 1978.

What might give Rooney the edge, however, is the relative weakness of England’s Group C opponents. With USA, Slovenia and Algeria to play, Rooney could fill his boots and trump Messi’s total for Argentina.

The same goalscorer match betting market has spawned numerous other mouthwatering clashes, one of which is Robinho vs Nicolas Anelka.

Anelka’s Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has recently likened the French striker to Dutch legend Marco Van Basten – a not entirely fanciful comparison when one considers Anelka’s club form this season, scoring 11 league goals despite playing many of his games on the wing.

Robinho has also been the subject of lofty comparisons throughout his career, with Pele in particular as both players emerged at Santos as precocious attacking talents.

Both Robinho and Anelka are expected to score plenty in South Africa, and are inseparably priced at 5/6 each in their head-to-head.

What could work in Robinho’s favour, however, is the fact that his Brazil side, who are 9/2 to win the World Cup, should go further than Anelka’s France, who are an outside 20/1 to lift the trophy.

Furthermore, Robinho’s record of 21 goals in 74 international appearances gives him the edge over Anelka, who has 14 strikes in his 67 caps.

Can Rooney outdo them all? He is 9/1 to win the Golden Shoe. See the full Tournament Top Goalscorer market.

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Author

Robbie Morris

Robbie studied sports journalism at the University of Gloucestershire, an establishment chosen for its proximity to Cheltenham racecourse, where he was a season ticket holder. Upon graduation, Robbie was a contributor to GolfPunk, a national magazine aimed at ridding golf of its traditionalist image, before joining the news.ladbrokes team.