Real Madrid End 2010 On A High

8-0. Yes, that's right. No error. Last night at the Bernabeau, Real Madrid lined up to bow out of 2010 in style and were ruthless from the word go as they demolished lowly ranked Levante. As soon as Benzema shot narrowly wide in the second there was a sense of excitement at the Bernabeau and it was a sign of more to come.

Ronaldo & Angel Di Maria were among the stars tearing apart a dismal Levante team with Asier Del Horno their only real threat.

The Galacticos have responded in spectacular form from their 5-0 drubbing from current champions Barcelona just over two weeks ago, with four wins out four and now looking like title contenders again.

Ronaldo & Benzema netted hat tricks each with Pedro Leon & Mesut Ozil grabbing a goal as well. Los Blancos were ruthlessly ripping Levante to pieces, with the side from Valencia struggling to get going in the game.

Benzema was spectacular in the first half bagging a brace along with Ozil and Ronaldo getting on the scoresheet and come the stroke of half time it was 4-0.

Real Madrid started the second half steadily and it wasn't until the 69th minute that they increased their lead. The jack of all trades Di Maria sent Karim Benzema through on goal and he made no mistake with a sublime finish, further increasing Levante's woes.

It was 6-0 when Di Maria again was instrumental as he rolled a ball through to Ronaldo who sent the ball past Munua. It was 7-0 just two minutes later as Ronaldo completed his hat trick as Benzema's pass evaded the defence and Ronaldo again scored, bringing his tally to 25 for the season. And just minutes after that Madrid made sure there would be no consolation for Levante as Pedro Leon rounded the keeper and slotted home into an empty net to round off a humiliating night for the visitors.

Building The Suspense To The Ballon D'or 2010

Ballon D'or

The Ballon D'or is set to be announced on the 10th of January 2011 and it's the first time it has been merged with the FIFA Player Of The Year. Messi is the current FIFA Player Of The Year & Ballon D'or Winner.

The shortlist consists of the Barcelona trio of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta & Xavi. They have all been superb this year and Messi has topped the goal scoring charts and broken records, scoring 47 in 59 apps in 09/10 and 19 goals in 17 appearances so far this season, clearly showing why he's been nominated.

 Iniesta isn't exactly a goal scoring midfielder but his flair, creativity and pace are what have got him here today. He became an international hero when he scored the winning goal for Spain in the World Cup. His vision & creativity cause all defenders havoc and he hasn't been shy in front of goal this season, having netted 4 and assisting 3 in Barca's opening 16 games. He doesn't necessarily excel in assisting but his range of passing is flawless and when he combines with Xavi it's football heaven.

Xavi has had another great season at Barca, finishing the 09/10 season with 14 assists, a second best career high. He is the glue that holds the team together and is influential wherever he plays for the club. He does more of the 'behind the scenes' and is rarely noticed amongst onlookers. So far this season Xavi has scored 3 and assisted 3 in 14 games for Barca.

Many people would say that Cristiano Ronaldo was overlooked for the final 3 and I can't disagree. He was on fire for Real during 09/10 season, netting 26 in 28 and was instrumental in their title challenge last season. Some more players who were also overlooked may include Wesley Sneijder, Diego Forlan, who was certainly on the top of his game come the World Cup.

I'd personally want Messi to win but then again this is like the World Cup 2018/2022 hosting saga all over again, as you know the decision will shock you and leave you stunned. As I said I WANT Messi to win but I'll concede there's a chance Iniesta/Xavi might nick it, which I really don't mind.