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          Clasico: Lionel Messi has 'dropped the pizzas and got into shape,' papers say

          • Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondentMar 20, 2015, 06:19 AM ET

          Catalan sports daily Mundo Deportivo said Lionel Messi had lost weight as it focused on the Barcelona playmaker ahead of the weekend's Nou Camp Clasico.

          The paper's cover story, billed as exclusive, claimed help from Italian dietician Silvia Tremoleda and Argentine kinesiologist Marcelo D'Andrea meant Messi was three-and-a-half kilos lighter than 12 months ago.

          It added that a renewed enthusiasm for training meant he was arriving early to do extra work by himself, increasing his sharpness.

          Madrid-based AS ran a similar piece in which it said Messi had changed his eating habits in recent months, and Barca were reaping the benefits. The paper illustrated it with before and after pictures.

          "Before the end of last year, Messi called a meeting of confidantes to devise a diet plan which would allow him to fly again on the pitch," Santi Gimenez reported.

          "Advised by his trusted physiotherapist and by the Argentina national team doctor, Messi dropped the pizzas and got into shape."

          A headline in Catalonia's Sport read: "Two police for Messi," with a report saying that Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti would use Sergio Ramos and Marcelo to double-mark him.

          Madrid paper Marca turned its focus on out-of-form Cristiano Ronaldo, saying he would be "gritting his teeth" and preparing to give "his best version" on Sunday.

          In Mundo Deportivo, a similar piece took a more sarcastic tone, with its headline reading: "Waiting for Cristiano."

          Sport said "Cristiano knows he's playing for the Ballon D'Or," suggesting the fear of being left in Messi's wake would be the Portuguese's biggest motivation.

          And in AS, Tomas Roncero wrote that, for all the contrasting narratives about them, Ronaldo beat Messi 3-0 in terms of goals scored in the Champions League round-of-16 games against Schalke and Manchester City.

          A Marca piece by the well-connected Jose Felix Diaz, headlined "Ronaldo will be one who decides own future," said Madrid president Florentino Perez had not yet decided whether to sell the superstar.

          Pointing out that the club already has a ready-made replacement in Gareth Bale, he wrote: "The Bernabeu boardroom does not consider the possible exit of the Portuguese.

          "They believe that, at the moment, it would be difficult to find the 50 goals that CR7 brings every season.

          "It is true that Ronaldo is finishing his sixth season at the club, is already 30, and that his knee is sending out worrying signals, but for the moment there is no operation being contemplated for the former Manchester United player.

          "In any case it will be the player (under contract until 2018) who will decide his own future. However, the president and other directors think that his replacement is in the dressing-room and responds to the name of Bale, who they see as a more than possible future Ballon d'Or winner."

          Marca, however, urged the Welshman to replicate the defensive work he put in during last season's 4-0 Champions League semi-final second leg win at Bayern Munich --"the spirit of Munich" -- saying: "Carlo convinces Bale he must work in defence".

          Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who will play his first game at the Camp Nou in 896 days if selected on Sunday, is under scrutiny after recent mistakes, and AS believes Sunday's game will be key to both his future and that of Ancelotti.

          AS TV recalled that the first goal Casillas conceded at the Camp Nou was a header from Luis Enrique, now the Barcelona coach, in October 2001 and also looked back at famous Clasico moments including Barca's Romario embarrassing defender Rafael Alkorta with his "cow's tail" flick in 1994 and Madrid legend Raul shushing the Camp Nou in 1999.