The Betfair Big Interview: Sky expert Terry Gibson tips Atletico Madrid to retain the Spanish title

Ballon D'Or rivals - but Terry Gibson says Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will both miss out on the Spanish title

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are locked in battle for the Ballon D'Or - and for the La Liga title as well with two points separating Barcelona from Real Madrid at the top. Betfair thought we'd ask Sky's Spanish football expert Terry Gibson about them - and discovered a third option... 

Hi Terry. You watched Barcelona win at Valencia at the weekend - are they hitting their stride?

To be honest I'm not sure yet. It was a fantastic win, but for me there are a lot of questions still.  The manager doesn't appear to have settled on his chosen centre back pairing, how he is trying to make the front three work, and every time you see the midfield it changes - against Valencia was the first time we have ever seen Mascherano and Busquets play together.

Sounds like you're not sure about Luis Enrique.

I think there are a lot of questions to be answered. He had one year at Roma and was not successful and got the sack, and he did OK at Celta Vigo last season. He got the job because he's a legend at Barca, but he's had only two years of managing in the top flight. That's the big question - there's no doubt they have the players, but can the manager handle them, pick the right tactics, pick the right players and get the best for them.

How is Luis Suarez settling in?

I think he, Messi and Neymar still don't quite know their roles. At the weekend Neymar was on the left but Messi started on the right, was  ineffective and dropped deep, had  long periods out of the game, and Suarez was everywhere, almost trying too hard. That's the key. Somehow the coach has to make them work. It shouldn't be too hard. But at the moment it hasn't been working - I know Messi has had back to back hat-tricks, but it still hasn't looked right.

Can they all play together?

Eventually. Fortunately for the manager they are three intelligent players and they will work it out. It is just taking time.

So where do you stand on the great Messi v Ronaldo debate?

I don't even want to decide.  I just think we are blessed that we have two great players going week-in and week-out in the same division, competing in terms of scoring goals and winning titles. I think just enjoy it. In years to come instead of saying Pele, Cruyff, Best, Platini, Maradona it will be Messi and Ronaldo together.

Get off the fence! Who would your Ballon D'Or vote go to?

This year Ronaldo, definitely.  The thing I admire about him is that he is at the top, and yet every season he wants to get better, and he does. Other players who are nowhere near as good will settle for what they are at the age of 21, 22, 23, playing first team football.  He every season wants to get better.  He wants to score more goals, get faster, fitter.

Is that a good influence on Gareth Bale?

Yes and he's become a different person as a result. You see him with Wales he is now a leader.  Before he was just happy to be there. The confidence that move has given him, and seeing Ronaldo every day, how he works, how he wants to improve, has led Gareth Bale to go there and think I'm 25 now, 26, I have another two or three years of improvement.  You see Ronaldo and how he lives his life to improve at football, thankfully that has rubbed off on Gareth Bale.

Ok so that's the individual title sorted, who wins the La Liga title?

Neither of them - you're forgetting Atletico.  I think they will win the League again.  Everybody has said last season was a fluke and a one off, but I don't think so.

But surely they sold Diego Costa and don't have Thibaut Courtois any more?

Yes but look how they reinvested. They sold players for 88million and spent 110million, and they have bought in quality. Mario Mandzukic has got 11 goals already and meant Costa isn't being missed. In any case Real Madrid and Barcelona might get 400 goals, and Atletico a fraction of that, but how many do you need to win a football match when you keep clean sheets every week? They've done that in 11 of 20 games in all.

Really?

Diego Simeone is such a good coach. He has new players but the same philosophy, and the new players have bought into it. It is almost like looking at the same team as last season. They are just four points off the top, have beaten Real Madrid already this season, and when the big games come I would fancy them all day long.  They are the better team - they don't have the star players but they have a style. I thought they would win it last year and I've said from the beginning they can do it again. I am more than ever convinced now.

Guess we know where your charity bet is going then?

Definitely.  We're getting odds bigger than 20-1 on the reigning champions. They have beaten Real Madrid away. They have won five of the last six now and are getting into their stride.

So what's your chosen charity?

The British Heart Foundation, please. I had a triple heart by-pass operation a few years back - it's the first chapter of my new book. I had chest pains and went out to run it off because I thought it was indigestion - I nearly died.

You're an author then.

Yes, all through my career when daft things happened people always said: "That's one for the book." I've written it all myself, and now I'm publishing and promoting it too. It took me four years - I had to get everybody out of the house, switch the phones off and spend eight hours whenever I had a day free - but I put heart and soul into it. I'm proud of how it's come out.

*Terry's book "Giant Killer" is available to order from his own website