On the only other occasion Cristiano Ronaldo has faced Virgil van Dijk in a competitive game, in last season’s Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool, the Portuguese predictably did what all forwards do and concentrated his movement on the weaker defender. It was, in this case, Dejan Lovren. It’s a common tactic, of course, but impossible not to think it was accentuated because Van Dijk is an uncommonly good defender.

Ronaldo did what was intelligent but his influence on the game was still affected since he didn’t even score. There was also another stat, that has since become something of a standard.

Ronaldo attempted five dribbles in that final and completed none of them. It was the most he’d tried in a game all season, which at least intimates he was getting frustrated and needed the validation of victory. That’s the personality type he is.

It’s certain that Ronaldo knows of that stat that no one has dribbled past Van Dijk all season, too, and the wonder now is whether he will try to personally rectify it – to get that big individual win.

There’s similarly more to it than that, just as their face-off means there’s more to the Nations League final between Portugal and the Netherlands.

England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Show all 70 1 /70 England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final John Stones looks on dejected after Netherlands' scored their second goal after a mistake by the defender PA England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final England and Netherlands observe a minute's silence for former UEFA president Lennart Johansson Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Managers embrace at the beginning of the match PA England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final England captain Raheem Sterling surrounded by Dutch players Frenkie de Jong and Daley Blind Getty England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Jordan Pickford makes a save AP England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Harry Kane watches on from the bench Getty England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Matthijs de Ligt fouls Marcus Rashford in the penalty area PA England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final England awarded a penalty Against the run of play on the half hour mark Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Rashford stepped up to take the penalty after drawing the foul Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Soccer Football - UEFA Nations League Semi Final - Netherlands v England - Estadio D. 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EPA/HUGO DELGADO HUGO DELGADO EPA England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final GUIMARAES, PORTUGAL - JUNE 06: Marcus Rashford of England celebrates as he scores his team's first goal from a penalty with Jadon Sancho during the UEFA Nations League Semi-Final match between the Netherlands and England at Estadio D. Afonso Henriques on June 06, 2019 in Guimaraes, Portugal. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) Dean Mouhtaropoulos Getty Images England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final England's Marcus Rashford (right) celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game with team-mates during the Nations League Semi Final at Estadio D. Alfonso Henriques, Guimaraes. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday June 6, 2019. See PA story SOCCER England. Photo credit should read: Tim Goode/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial use only in permitted publications not devoted to any team, player or match. No commercial use. Stills use only - no video simulation. No commercial association without UEFA permission. please contact PA Images for further information. Tim Goode PA England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final English fans celebrating AP England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final GUIMARAES, PORTUGAL - JUNE 06: Marcus Rashford of England (19) celebrates as he scores his team's first goal from a penalty with team mates during the UEFA Nations League Semi-Final match between the Netherlands and England at Estadio D. Afonso Henriques on June 06, 2019 in Guimaraes, Portugal. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) Dean Mouhtaropoulos Getty England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Virgil van Dijk gestures during the match Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Soccer Football - UEFA Nations League Semi Final - Netherlands v England - Estadio D. 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Afonso Henriques, Guimaraes, Portugal - June 6, 2019 England's Ross Barkley in action with Netherlands' Denzel Dumfries REUTERS/Susana Vera SUSANA VERA Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final England head coach Gareth Southgate and backroom staff on the bench PA England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Denzel Dumfries clatters into Ben Chilwell Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Ben Chilwell lays on the floor after the foul PA England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Ben Chilwell in need of treatment Action/Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Jordan Pickford goes in with a high foot on Memphis Depay Action/Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Dumfries tackles Rashford EPA England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Marcus Rashford goes down injured Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Virgil Van Dijk shouts AP England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Memphis Depay tries a bicycle kick Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Jadon Sancho, unmarked, heads the ball toward goal AP England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Cillessen saves the shot easily Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Sancho shows his disappointment after the missed chance Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Harry Kane was bought on for injured Rashford Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Jesse Lingard substituted on for Sancho PA England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Koeman controls the ball on the touchine Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Harry Kane fouls Daley Blind and is awarded a yellow card Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Kane checking on Blind Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Matthijs de Ligt scores Netherlands' first goal Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final De Ligt rise beats Kyle Walker and John Stones to head the ball AP England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final The 19-year-old celebrates scoring the equaliser Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Declan Rice reacts after England concede Action/Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Matthijs de Ligt celebrates with teammates after scoring AP England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final GUIMARAES, PORTUGAL - JUNE 06: Matthijs de Ligt of the Netherlands (3) celebrates as he scores his team's first goal with team mates during the UEFA Nations League Semi-Final match between the Netherlands and England at Estadio D. Afonso Henriques on June 06, 2019 in Guimaraes, Portugal. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images) Jan Kruger Getty England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final England players appear dejected after Netherlands equalised PA England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Ross Barkley sets up Jesse Lingard on goal Action/Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Lingard slots past Cillessen Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Lingard celebrates scoring Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final England celebrate AP England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Netherlands players protest to the referee Clement Turpin Action/Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final ..who checks with VAR for offside, which confirms it was Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final VAR graphic showis Lingard marginally offside Sky Sports England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Kane reacts after a miss Action/Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Southgate gives instructions to Jordan Henderson, who came on for Fabian Delph, before the start of extra time Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Memphis Depay takes the ball off John Stones and goes on to shoot Getty England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Pickford's save from Depay's shot landed in Quincy Promes run and his shot then deflects off Kyle Walker PA England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final The ball beats Jordan Pickford and the Netherlands' score their second goal Getty England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Quincy Promes celebrates Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Pickford reacts after conceding Action/Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Promes celebrates the second goal AFP/Getty England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Stones looks dejected after giving the ball away Action/Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final His England team mates stand on the half way line after conceding Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Southgate comforts the defender during half time of extra time Action/Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Quincy Promes scores Netherlands' third Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Promes celebrates scoring with Depay who set him up PA England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Southgate reacts after England conceded their third goal Action/Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Netherlands celebrate scoring their third PA England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Henderson, Pickford and Harry Maguire react after conceding Action/Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final An England fan looks on dejected Action/Reuters England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final England captains on the night react after they lost the match 3-1 AP England vs Netherlands: Nations League semi-final Southgate hugs Stones after the match Action Images via Reuters

Van Dijk and Dutch manager Ronald Koeman predictably looked to play that duel down on beating England 3-1 on Thursday. They both pointed to the fact it will be two teams – not individuals – playing on Sunday, and in pursuit of a trophy at that.

It’s still impossible to escape the fact it’s a secondary trophy, though, and that so much of the intrigue will be about how two of the best players in the world come up against each other.

Therein lies why there’s even more to this, as reflected by a question to Van Dijk after he finally won the Champions League with Liverpool last week.

The defender was asked whether this will give him a claim to the Ballon D’Or, which is of course the trophy that Ronaldo holds and is so obsessed with.

The question wouldn’t have been the only slight. There was also the answer.

Ronaldo’s hat-trick sends Portugal through to the final (Getty)

“I think Messi is the best player in the world,” Van Dijk said. “I think he deserves it as long as he plays. So the Ballon D’Or is definitely something I’m not thinking of. But if it happens by any chance, then obviously I would take it, but I don’t think there is any case. He is still the best player in the world. It doesn’t matter if he’s not in the Champions League final.”

It’s not difficult to imagine Ronaldo seething at this, even if he couldn’t bring himself to watch a Champions League final he wasn’t involved in. This is, after all, a man who got irritated that Alfredo Di Stefano is still considered the greatest player in Madrid’s history over him, even though Di Stefano is cited as the sole reason for transforming that history, not to mention winning more European Cups there and far, far more Spanish leagues. It was even cited as a reason for Ronaldo’s departure to Juventus. He isn’t one to take a slight.

The wonder – and what could make this game a little more wondrous – is whether Ronaldo will thereby be intent on making Van Dijk rethink this; whether it’s time to show him what he’s really about.

That in itself might be why we might see the Portuguese repeatedly looking to claim the symbolic victory of finally dribbling past Van Dijk.

The sweeping run to utterly destroy Switzerland’s Manuel Akanji on Wednesday will have only fired him, even if it was itself something of a throwback. He doesn’t do that kind of thing anywhere near as much any more.

That is something else charging this game, and that made the question about the Ballon D’Or all the more loaded.

Virgil van Dijk lifts the Champions League trophy (Getty)

While Ronaldo will obviously always be considered the greater player with the greater legacy, who is the greater player right now? It’s genuinely difficult to tell.

Ronaldo’s physical powers are waning, to go with the fact he failed to get past the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in nine years, and what has been a controversial season with the rape lawsuit made against him.

It was almost metaphorical that on the day when that story came up again – that the case was now being pursued in a federal court - the Portuguese produced a performance that ensured everyone was – again – talking about his football. It does feel somewhat incongruous to talk about one aspect of his career when this other aspect of his life hangs there. The legal complications mean, however, that you can still only really discuss one but not the other.

That high-quality hat-trick against Portugal was a reminder of what has made Ronaldo so famous in the first place. But it was also something of a spike. He just hasn’t been doing that as much, either. The reality there is he hasn’t been as consistent, or as influential as Van Dijk.

An Italian title with Juventus and an early Champions League knock-out – while scoring a good return of goals was fairly standard for Gonzalo Higuain – let alone Ronaldo.

Portugal face the Netherlands in the Nations League final (Getty) (The Independent)

Van Dijk, though? He’s directly lifted Liverpool way above their level, to the greatest victory in club football; to the point that it’s genuinely difficult to think of a Premier League transfer since Eric Cantona that has had such an immediate and profound influence.

He instantly gave Liverpool the bedrock backline that has been such a key part of their season, that they have so often leant on.

It’s not just about influence, either. He’s performing on a level beyond any defender on the planet. He’s that good, that difficult to get beyond, that composed and imposing.

Perhaps some of this is down to the fact Van Dijk has become a more distinctive player than Ronaldo. The game is now so front-loaded, with so much coaching and talent based on attacking, that there are many top forwards but not many top centre-backs. It’s a problem faced by all big clubs right now.

“On the basis of that and there are plenty of players and ways to score goals,” one source at a top European club says, “I’d probably go with Van Dijk over Ronaldo right now.”

Such undercurrents may mean Ronaldo really goes at Van Dijk on Sunday. He does have a history of reducing such talk to rubble and reproving his greatness time and time again.