Spanish Football: Ronaldo fights on in Messi battle

Is Cristiano Ronaldo obsessed with winning the Ballon d'Or?
After Real Madrid's 2-2 draw with Barcelona, Ben Lyttleton tells us what might be preventing the Spanish champions' best player from becoming even better...
Anything you can do, I can do better; or at least just as well. That seemed to be the message between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as Barcleona and Real Madrid slugged out an enthralling 2-2 draw at Camp Nou on Sunday night.
And while the result leaves Barcelona eight points ahead of the reigning Spanish champions, Madrid, and Ronaldo, can take heart from the performance and result.
The visitors were the better side in the first half, but all they had to show for it as the break approached was one goal, a brilliant strike by Ronaldo which made him the first player to score in six consecutive clasico matches. For a player once accused of disappearing on the big stage, that is some record. Messi soon leveled up, though, tapping home after a Pepe error.
In the second half, the roles were reversed: Messi won a free-kick and scored from it too, a ferocious curling dipping howitzer that Iker Casillas could do nothing about. It was almost perfection, and you wondered if that goal would not only clinch Barcelona the victory, but seal the Ballon D'Or for Messi too. Not quite: Ronaldo moved smartly onto Mesut Ozil's through-ball to equalise again. Honours even.
Ronaldo came into the game after scoring back-to-back hat-tricks and has now scored eight goals in his last three games, taking his total for Madrid to 160 goals in 155 games. Messi surely has a role to play in that total: the Argentine's presence spurs him on to constantly improve. Imagine if Messi was not playing today, would we see such a hungry Ronaldo? Surely the Portuguese would be by far and away the best in the world that he could take his foot off the gas?
The goals this season have masked issues behind the scenes, though. Ronaldo has not been his usual cheery self, and with most papers speculating it's because he wants a new contract (which is fair enough, considering he hasn't had a pay since he joined the club, despite those incredible figures), sources close to him have suggested it's because he wants to win the Ballon D'Or and doesn't feel the club are supporting him. He was furious when Andres Iniesta was named as Uefas Player of the Year in August and no senior Madrid board member came to support him.
Around the same time, Ronaldo fell out with team-mate Marcelo when the Brazilian said that Iker Casillas "deserved to win the Ballon DOr." A source close to the player told the Spanish press: "He feels that Messi is supported unconditionally at Barcelona by everyone, but no-one at the club, the fans or the Madrid press are backing him for the award." Quite the opposite in fact, as Jose Mourinho was quoted by France Football as saying, in private: "Cristiano is obsessed with the Ballon d'Or and this affects his performance."
There seemed no adverse effect on Sunday night: this was a glorious occasion lit up by two men who are among the all-time greatest players in history. Barcelona remain 1.3130/100 favourits for La Liga, with Madrid 4.94/1. Their performance shows there could yet be a few twists in the title race yet. In the Pichchi market for Top Scorer, Messi is 1.548/15 and Ronaldo 2.1411/10 - both currently have eight goals. After the game, Mourinho said: "I don't want to have to think about the Ballon d'Or, choosing who is the best in the world should be banned. They are two players from another planet."
Ronaldo's performance was all the more special as he was playing with a shoulder injury: no wonder PSG, according to the French press, are weighing up a massive-money move for the Portuguese. "I don't know if this is a transfer that PSG can make but what coach would say he doesn't want Ronaldo?" said PSG boss Carlo Ancelotti.
Ancelotti might need him: PSG looked short of ideas even though they managed to draw 2-2 at Marseille, who remain top of Ligue 1. Marseille are 4.47/2 to end the season there, with PSG 1.341/3. Most neutrals, though, will hope Ronaldo signs a new deal in Madrid: this Messi-Ronaldo battle is compelling to watch, as each inspires the other.