Two weeks ago Real Madrid fell to Barcelona 2-1 in a Clasico that reminded the world of why one club was on the decline and the other was at its peak form. Incidentally, the match reminded the world of why Lionel Messi was in superior form to rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Barcelona cannot make a transfer for another year. But that does not mean that the club has not set its sights on another target.And what a target to dream of. Paul Pogba is by most accounts the finest young midfielder and many project him to be among the finest in the world in just a few years. He has the tools to create, but he is terrific at recovering and more importantly, holding the ball.
The seemingly inevitable took place on Wednesday when Manchester City suffered elimination at the hands of Barcelona for the second straight year in the Champions League.Defeat was by one goal yet again, but this time it was agonizing as they come. The score was 1-0, but it was nowhere near as close as the score indicated. Here are some things we learned from Barcelona's 1-0 romp.
And now things get heated. The year 2015 has been a showcase for Lionel Messi and no one, not even Cristiano Ronaldo, can deny that the Argentine has been the best player in the world to start the year. Even Ronaldo would not be considered second as his goal totals have been topped by Barcelona's Neymar and Luis Suarez. So if the Ballon d'Or voting started this week, Ronaldo would not be close to the top three.
With their competition as tight as it has ever been, Cristiano Ronaldo and rival Lionel Messi sought out new ways to top one another and help their respective teams in a parallel title race in the Spanish League.For the second straight week, Messi got two chances to top his rival and this time he did so, emphatically. He had a solid Copa del Rey game against Villarreal in which he added an assist to his totals, but it was on the weekend against Rayo Vallecano where Messi really did his damage.
The BBC dominated 2013-14 while Barcelona's duo of Neymar and Messi struggled to find consistency and balance in attack. This prompted Blaugrana to find a third piece to the puzzle in Suarez. Now both groups have played ample time together and the question beckons - which big three is better?
It has been a tale of two seasons. At the start of the year the story was Cristiano Ronaldo and his 70-goal pace. And now, a month and half into 2015, the script has flipped and favored his rival Lionel Messi. It has been a woeful 2015 for the reigning Ballon d'Or winner who has in recent weeks watched his great rival make up ground him in the race for the scoring leading in the world. Did Messi complete the turnaround?
The rivarly returned this weekend when Cristiano Ronaldo's two-match ban was finally lifted and he was allowed to compete for his club against its crosstown rivals. Meanwhile Lionel Messi and Barcelona looked to continue their hot play at Athletic Bilbao.
For the third time this season, Barcelona bested Atletico Madrid Wednesday, eliminating the defending Spanish League champions from the Copa del Rey. As a result, Blaugrana, which no longer has to face either of two Madrid sides, is the now the runaway favorite to claim the Copa del Rey. Latin Post.com breaks down the game and why
After a woeful start to 2015, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi sought out new means to get back on track. Over the last two weeks the two players have gotten opportunities to pad their numbers in the Spanish League and Copa del Rey.
Everyone and their mother has probably dreamed up the scenario at some point in their lives. But few would ever have even brought the conversation up as a serious talking point if Cristiano Ronaldo had not said the following during his Ballon d'Or press conference: "It would be nice to have the three of us together on the same team. That would be a good thing!"
While most see it as a done deal that Cristiano Ronaldo will hoist his second straight Ballon d'Or and his third overall, there are some that view Manuel Neuer as the true contender to run away with the individual honor.Goaltending and the Ballon d'Or was analyzed in depth in a previous post, but one perspective is that Neuer's involvement in the World Cup winning side should have a huge bearing on the outcome for the personal award. In fact, many have been vocal about it.
Can Barcelona B save Barcelona during its transfer ban? Barcelona's transfer ban is a huge issue for the legendary Spanish side. The team will be stripped of the opportunity to buy up reinforcements for its squad for the next year, forcing it to rely on the mixed bag that it currently has.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi looked to get their respective 2015 campaigns off to a great start. Ronaldo finished the year with a bit of a slump as he struggled to score in the FIFA Club World Cup. Meanwhile his great rival had been finding new ways to consistently score for Barcelona. Heading into this week, Ronaldo had an 8-5 lead on his rival. Would he add to the lead? Or see Messi creep ever closer?
One more time and this time with some feeling. All year round, the world monitors the performances of the two best players in the entire world. Lionel Messi's rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo probably spurs more arguments than any other topic in the world with two rather decisive camps. But when all is said and done, the numbers and results do not lie. One player and one player only had the better year in the 2014.
When was the last time Lionel Messi was not in the running for the Ballon d’Or as a finalist? That would be 2007 when he finished third behind Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo for the award. This year he is up for his fifth, and while some believe that Ronaldo has the award locked up and ready to go, it is possible that the Argentine superstar, possibly the greatest to ever lace up cleats, could win the personal award.
On Monday, FIFA finally announced the three finalists for the 2014 Ballon d'Or which will be handed out in January. Voting has already closed, so the winner has already been determined. But will Cristiano Ronaldo beat out Lionel Messi? Or will Manuel Neuer pull away with the trophy?
It was another terrific week for both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of their inclusion among the finalists in this year's additions of the Ballon d'Or. But which one came out on top?
Is Lionel Messi Leaving Barcelona in the near future? Lionel Messi sure knows how to mystify. His skill on the pitch is peerless and his productivity is not only unprecedented, but unflappable.
The battle between the two best players in the world continued this past week. Both superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi had chances to test their respective mettles in two games, including a Spanish League tilt and Champions League bout. How did they manage? Would Ronaldo continue his hot streak or would Messi take the week?
