Lionel Messi made his "comeback" this week with a terrific display in the Champions League for Barcelona. But was it enough to take down rival Cristiano Ronaldo?
Messi was under tremendous (and unnecessary) scrutiny for the lack of goals he scored in October and a three-game slump he was enduring. People were questioning his form and claiming that he was still hurt from the injury. Messi shut everyone up with a two-goal display against AC Milan in the Champions League. The opening tally was penalty goal, while the second was a terrific give-and-go with Cesc Fabregas that put the game out of reach for the Italian team.
Everything seemed to indicate that Messi was ready to take the world by storm but then the inevitable happened - Messi endured another injury. Just 21 minutes into the game he was limping off the field and making way for Andres Iniesta. Now his Ballon d'Or is officially at stake as it was revealed that he suffered a leg injury.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo continued to establish himself as the world's best player at the moment. He scored and assisted in the 2-2 draw with Juventus on Wednesday before putting up a monstrous afternoon against Real Sociedad on Saturday. Ronaldo scored another hat trick in that game and now has 16 goals in the Spanish League; what is Messi's total? Eight.
Prediction: Messi's two goals were a huge step forward after some injury struggles but the latest injury has put him in a precarious situation. Meanwhile, Ronaldo looks unstoppable and easily claims this week's matchup. The deadline for the Ballon d'Or voting is coming up and Ronaldo is in complete control. 6-3 Ronaldo.