The statistics suggest that Ricardo Carvalho has good cause for relishing another confrontation with Peter Crouch, but the former Chelsea defender may yet regret being quite so candid about it when he steps out at the Bernabeu against Tottenham on Tuesday night.
A Spanish journalist at Wigan's DW Stadium on Saturday let it be known that Real Madrid centre back Carvalho, in his Chelsea days, 'enjoyed' facing Crouch and always found it 'easier' coping with a striker of his stature and style.
Spurs' 6ft 7in striker fixed his Madrid messenger with a look, after his side's third successive 0-0 draw, and replied: 'We'll see about that. I have a lot of respect for Carvalho and I've had some good, hard battles with him. But I've got the better of him before and hopefully will do again on Tuesday.
Cocky: Ricardo Carvalho says he enjoys playing against Peter Crouch and finds it 'easier'
'I can remember coming out on top in a couple of semi-finals with Liverpool, one in the Champions League and one in the FA Cup, when we beat Chelsea both times. 'He is a tough defender, and this is a completely different game between different teams. But I'm looking forward to my first appearance at the Bernabeu, we're going there to get a positive result.'
Crouch's powers of recall may leave something to be desired, since Carvalho was an unused substitute in the FA Cup semifinal at Old Trafford and missed the Anfield return leg in the Champions League, after playing in Chelsea's 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge.
As a further ominous sign, Crouch has lost nine and drawn three of his 12 encounters with Carvalho and failed to score in the 726 minutes they have been on the pitch together, including England's World Cup exit against Portugal in 2006. But the message from Spurs' San Siro match-winner was still unmistakable, as he vowed to add another scalp to this season's list of illustrious victims.
He said: 'Real will be favourites in the Bernabeu, but we've done very well in the Champions League and hopefully can continue in the same vein. It's a tough task but we've already proved against top teams like Inter Milan and AC Milan that we can get the result we need.
Tower of trouble: Peter Crouch thinks he can give Carvalho a tough night at the Bernabeu
'I've loved every minute of the Champions League. It's a competition that seems to bring out the best in me. I always seem to play well and score goals. That was the case at Liverpool, and it has been the same here. It is frustrating that we have drawn a blank in our past three games, but it just hasn't been a problem in Europe.
'We have scored a hell of a lot of goals against some of the best around. We find it better when those sort of teams attack us and make it more open, as opposed to the way some Premier League sides set up against us. It will be different on Tuesday. That should suit us more.'
And there were weekend words of admiration for Crouch from Real striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who is on loan from Manchester City: 'When I was playing in England I always loved a lot of Tottenham players, especially Peter Crouch. He is not that quick but he is very tall, believe me, even taller than me!
'He just has this ability for dribbling, doing everything in slow-motion, he is very good, and in the air there is no way to win the battle against him. He will cause lots of trouble to us, we need to manage to win the header because as soon as he starts winning the header in our area it will be very difficult for us.'
Top ability: Emmanuel Adebayor was full of praise for Crouch
Spurs' preparations might have been jolted by defeat, had substitute Conor Sammon packed more into a late shot that goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes saved, but Roberto Martinez can still see them causing an upset in the Bernabeu. 'Spurs are a new name in the competition and can so easily be underestimated,' said Wigan's Spanish boss.
'Their biggest asset is they have got goalscoring ability from so many angles. They can be direct with Crouch, or they can link up play with Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart, and with set-piece plays, they are sensational. They can hurt you in many ways, and in Europe, you don't get that.
'Crouch is a real shock to continental sides. They just don't have the kind of option he gives you. Technically, he's very gifted, and the height and control he has in the air gives you a different dimension that European teams and centre halves just aren't used to. Crouch is going to be a real problem for Real.'
As for Wigan, they may be adrift at the bottom of the Barclays Premier League by a point, but Martinez added: 'I just wish our season could start now, because we are enjoying getting on the ball and linking up the play. It does fill me with enthusiasm that 21 points are still up for grabs.'
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?Explore more:People: Peter Crouch, Luka Modric, Emmanuel Adebayor, Roberto Martinez Places: Madrid, Liverpool, Portugal, United Kingdom, Europe
Source: Daily Mail
Source: Daily Mail