With eight goals to his name in the UEFA Champions League this term, Lionel Messi has already matched the tally reached by last season's top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo, but will the FC Barcelona phenomenon still lead the table after the Rome final on 27 May?
Klose injury
Messi found the back of the net twice against FC Bayern München last week to overtake Steven Gerrard and Miroslav Klose on seven apiece, and that two-goal haul had the further merit of leaving the latter's chances of responding very slim indeed. In the highly unlikely event that Bayern come back from their 4-0 defeat at the Camp Nou, their German international striker is expected to miss at least the opening leg of the semi-finals as he continues his recovery from ankle surgery.
Gerrard prospects
Likewise, Gerrard's continued presence in the competition is in major doubt, following Liverpool FC's 3-1 loss to English Premier League rivals Chelsea FC at Anfield last Wednesday, when he was marked out of the game by Michael Essien. The England midfielder looks to have recovered from a groin injury, however, and if the Merseysiders do stage a stunning fightback, no one would be surprised if Gerrard added to his total in the process. Chelsea's leading marksman, Didier Drogba, has four goals and far more catching up to do, in contrast.
Lisandro form
Sitting proudly on six goals is El Pelado, Lisandro. The FC Porto striker boasts more shots on target than anyone else this term, 21, and will be feeling positive about his chances to mount a challenge on fellow Argentinian Messi after last week's 2-2 draw with Manchester United FC at Old Trafford. Behind the 26-year-old, five-goal Thierry Henry has to be in contention too, particularly with many backing Messi to be rested in the second leg against Bayern, although the Frenchman's own participation has been put in doubt by a high temperature.
Scoring rates
Further down the list, Emmanuel Adebayor has registered four times for Arsenal FC but at the rate of a goal every 90 minutes and with potentially four more matches ahead of him. No one can match Messi's ratio of 1.27 strikes per game, though, and having steered clear of the muscle injuries that have dogged him in seasons past, the exuberantly talented forward could well be set to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo – in the UEFA Champions League scoring charts and possibly much else besides.
(From Website : http://www1.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/talkfootball/tpoint/newsid=819653.html)
