When Messi played against Real Mallorca in La Liga, he not only scored a hat-trick but also contributed an assist. In the mid-week Champions League fixture, he scored another hat-trick. Two hat-tricks in two consecutive matches, within a short span of just four days. Anyone could see that Messi was going all out for the Golden Ball Award!
Ronaldo didn't let Messi steal all the limelight, either. Although his recent goal-scoring momentum in La Liga hadn't been very stable, he matched Messi in the Champions League with a hat-trick of his own, helping Real Madrid secure a four-match winning streak to advance from the group stage early. The La Liga Giants were truly a cut above the rest. Especially under the leadership of Ronaldo and Messi, both teams had achieved four consecutive victories in the group stage, advancing early as group leaders!
As a result, all the pressure fell squarely onto Wang Shuo's shoulders.
