Barca overtake Madrid, Messi catches CR7 - how the tables have turned

The turnaround is as dramatic as it was
unexpected. Last Saturday, Real Madrid sat
proudly on top of La Liga with a healthy four-
point lead over Barcelona as Cristiano Ronaldo
led the race for the Pichichi prize. But fast-
forward just over a week and it's the Catalans on
top, while Lionel Messi has caught the
Portuguese in the scoring charts.
Madrid's failure to beat Villarreal at home last
Sunday saw their advantage cut to two points
after Barca had won at Granada. And Luis
Enrique's men made it a week to remember
(having already advanced to the final of the Copa
del Rey on Wednesday) as they thrashed Rayo
Vallecano 6-1 at Camp Nou on Sunday to
complete a remarkable revival after Athletic Club
had beaten Real on Saturday.
And Messi, as usual, played a pivotal part. The
Argentine attacker scored an 11-minute hat-trick
(the fastest of his career) to overtake Ronaldo for
Liga triples (he now has a record 24) and move
level with the Portuguese on 30 Primera Division
goals in 2014-15. Back in late November, Messi
had netted only seven in La Liga to Cristiano's 20,
but in 2015 it is the Barca forward on form as
the Madeiran struggles to replicate the
performances he produced prior to the winter
break.
With 26 rounds of La Liga now played by the two
rivals, Barca lead the way with 62 points, one
more than Madrid and with the Clasico at Camp
Nou still to come later this month.
"We have earned it," Luis Enrique said afterwards.
"I don't usually talk about our rivals but what I
will say is that every match and every victory is
complicated. Our objective is to be leaders at the
end of the championship."
After a slow start to the season and some
teething problems initially under the Asturian
coach, the Catalans appear to be peaking at just
the right time in the race for the title.
Likewise Leo. While Ronaldo scored for fun in the
early months of the campaign, Messi took time to
find his best form as Luis Enrique experimented,
but the Argentine is now on fire and has netted
18 goals to Ronaldo's seven in all competitions in
2015.
"Messi's attitude has been the same since day
one and that extends to his team-mates too," the
Barca boss said after the Argentine made it 15 in
La Liga this year to Ronaldo's five.
That difference between the world's two top
players in 2015 is reflected in the form of their
respective teams and it is Barca firing on all
cylinders right now. Madrid, meanwhile, are
looking to find solutions to the flailing form that
has seen them fail to score from open play in
their last two Liga games and somehow throw
away a four-point lead.
Not that Barca will worry about that. What has
been a nightmare week for Carlo Ancelotti's men
is a dream scenario for the Catalan club. And
with Messi peaking just as the season
approaches its business end, everything is rosy
right now for Leo, Luis Enrique and a buoyant
Barca.

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