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REAL MADRID boss Zinedine Zidane has risked a row with Cristiano Ronaldo by praising Barcelona star Lionel Messi.

Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona stunned Real Madrid with a 3-2 win at the Bernabeu.

The Argentina international's last-gasp winner has blown the La Liga title race wide open.

Cristiano Ronaldo went into the game on the back of a hat-trick against Bayern Munich.

But the former Manchester United star was eclipsed by Messi and struggled throughout El Clasico.

Zidane after the game said: "Messi makes the difference in his team. 

"Today he has scored twice, but it's not just Messi, we played against a great rival."

However, his comments have reportedly upset Ronaldo.

Spanish outlet Diario Gol claim Real's No7 wasn't happy with Zidane's decision to praise his biggest rival.

Ronaldo and Messi have longed vied for football's individual honours.

The prestigious Ballon d'Or award has been contested by the two players every year since 2007, with Kaka the last player outside of the duo to win it.