The Ronaldo vs. Messi matchup returns after a few weeks of absenses. Messi's injury postponed the battle between the top two players in the world. The last time the two stars were on the pitch in the same week was back in late September and Messi had a 4-3 lead over his rival Ronaldo.
Since then Ronaldo has led Madrid to three straight victories, including a huge game winner in Levante on Oct. 5.
In Messi's absence Barcelona continued to cruise, albeit with some difficulty. The superstar only got 20 minutes of playtime on Saturday against Osasuna and was surprisingly ineffective. He got two shots on goal and was unable to lead his team to victory as most expected he would. Messi's subpar performance only amplified the fact that Barcelona is still a weak team offensively without him at his best.
Ronaldo was ineffective for Madrid on Saturday against Malaga, but was also at his optimal best. How is this possible? The Portuguese superstar was the most dangerous man on the pitch for Los Blancos in their 2-0 victory. He had 11 shots and seven of them were on target. He hit a few posts and wreaked complete havoc on Malaga's defense. He was unlucky not to score on a few of his chances but it was actually astonishing to watch the sniper waste so many goals. He eventually got one in the most anticlimactic manner - a penalty shot. Fortunately Ronaldo, not often known for his humility, did not celebrate the goal and even gestured at the Madrid fan base in an apologetic manner.
Winner: It is slightly unfair considering the disparity in playtime but Messi still had time to work his magic against a tired Osasuna defense and failed. Meanwhile Ronaldo managed a goal and was dominant. The score is now tied at three with a huge week ahead for both clubs.
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