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The UEFA Champions League is the biggest stage in European football and Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo being the biggest superstars on the continent have dominated the tournament for a long time, breaking records upon records and establishing themselves as two of the most prolific goalscorers in the history of the competition.
While Lionel Messi enjoyed a period of early dominance in the Champions League by quickly claiming the Golden Shoe on four different occasions, the Barcelona playmaker has watched Cristiano Ronaldo subdue his efforts in recent years, with the Portuguese finishing on top of the goalscoring chart for 6 straight seasons and he has also been tipped by many to go home with the prestigious prize this term.
However, having closely observed the situations surrounding both players and their performances in the tournament so far this season, it looks like Lionel Messi will get the upper hand over his Portuguese rival in the race for the Champions League Golden Shoe this term and below are 3 reasons why:
#3 Messi is a man on a mission in the Champion League this term
Having watched Barcelona struggle to impress in Europe in each of the past 3 seasons as well as conceding the Golden Shoe to Cristiano Ronaldo in all of those years, Lionel Messi has come back into the UEFA Champions League this season with a great determination.
The Argentine promised the Blaugrana faithful recently that he would do everything to ensure that he helps Barcelona to conquer Europe during the term and he has appeared as a man on a mission with his electrifying performances in the European tournament so far during the campaign.
Messi has recorded an incredible 6 goals and 1 assist to his name in 4 Champions League appearances for Barcelona this term and he has also helped the Blaugrana to qualify into the knockout phase of the competition while emerging as the leaders of Group B.
#2 Ronaldo has started slowly
Signed with the expectations that he would grant the Bianconeri an extra edge as they aim for the UEFA Champions League this season, the attacker's performances in the European tournament so far during the term is not what he would have hoped for.
Ronaldo has had a slow start to his Champions League campaign this season, failing to impress in his European debut with Juventus when they faced Valencia for their opening fixture as well as earning a red card for his conduct during the game which kept him out of action for one game.
The Portuguese has only managed 1 goal and 2 assists in Europe this term, giving Lionel Messi the opportunity to move ahead with 6 efforts and that could have given the Argentine a huge boost in the Golden Shoe race as games are expected to get tougher during the knockout stages.
#1 Juventus' recent Champions League struggles
To be sincere, after signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid this summer and running riot in the Serie A, it is undeniable that Juventus have failed to match the expectations before them in Europe so far, regardless of their qualification status in the Champions League.
Drawn in a relatively easy group alongside a struggling Manchester United and the likes of Valencia and Young Boys Bern, the Bianconeri have failed to impress with their performances in the tournament so far, even though they head into the knockout phase as leaders of Group H.
Despite claiming 4 victories, 2 defeats and earning 12 points from their 6 games during the stage level, Massimiliano Allegri's men have not been much convincing in the competition this term as evidenced in their defeats to both Manchester United and Young Boys Bern recently.
Since football is a team sport, Juventus' struggles could limit Cristiano Ronaldo in his bid to fight for the Champions League Golden Shoe this season, which could also afford Lionel Messi the opportunity to pull far away from his rival and claim the accolade.
