Ronaldinho wary of Ronaldo threat

By Brian Brownstein

Ronaldinho has warned his FC Barcelona colleagues to beware his Brazil team-mate Ronaldo as the Catalan giants prepare to visit Real Madrid CF on Sunday night.

'Still the best'
Ronaldo has had a quiet campaign by his own high standards, scoring only 12 goals in 30 top-flight games, yet his international partner-in-crime fears this could be the time when the Madrid striker bursts into life. "Both clubs have great attacking players, but for me Ronaldo is still the best striker in Spain and maybe the world," Ronaldinho told uefa.com.

Wary of threat
"He does not have to prove anything to anyone because he is the No1 forward around. I feel we have a big problem with him this weekend because Roni hasn't scored for a few games. That means he will come into this game with a strong desire to score and I am sure he is already dreaming about it. That could spell danger."

Nine-point gap
The 'gran clásico' is always important but this Sunday's duel is even more crucial than usual, with 'los blancos' trailing Barcelona by nine points in the Primera División title race. Ronaldinho knows Madrid really must win to retain a realistic chance.

Title race
"If they win the derby, our lead will be cut to just six points and I think that is a good incentive for them. However, if we beat Madrid on Sunday the title will be a lot closer to the Camp Nou. I am lucky enough to have never lost to Madrid in a Barcelona shirt," he said.

Not worried
As one of the most potent attacking forces in the game, Ronaldinho is likely to be kept under a close watch. However, the playmaker claims he will not be fazed by the attention of a man-marker and even gives an insight into how he will deal with such attention.

Close attention
The 25-year-old said: "If it happens, it will probably be Thomas Gravesen, who I think is a very good defensive central midfield player. However, I will constantly move around the pitch asking for the ball because that's the best way to deal with being man-marked. It will be better for my team-mates and create more space for them to cause problems.

Third coach
Madrid have suffered enough this term without having to contend with Ronaldinho as well. The players are working under their third manager of the campaign, Vanderlei Luxemburgo, while they face the prospect of a second successive trophyless season. The FIFA World Footballer of the Year has his own take on the upheaval.

'Best players'
He said: "I don't think anyone really knows why Madrid have struggled so much this season because they have great players. But in football you can have the best players but sometimes it's still not enough. You need more and that is the secret of football. Perhaps they haven't played a regular side as much as they should have done - that can make a difference.

Enjoyment key
"Some people think the 'galáctico' culture at Madrid is a bad thing, but I don't think it is has been created by the players. I don't think the players like to be called galácticos," he added. "I prefer to think about football, which is something I enjoy and love playing. I want to make goals for my team-mates, win games and win titles. The title of 'galáctico'? It doesn't matter to me."