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Neymar scored 24 goals in the second half of Barcelona's treble-winning 2014/15 season, and he has become an even more prominent figure during Messi's recent injury absence. The Brazilian tops the Spanish scoring charts with 14 La Liga goals this season, and while Sky Bet make him the third favourite to win the award, Balague thinks he is well placed to usurp Ronaldo.
I do feel Neymar is more influential these days," Balague said. "It was noted when Messi got injured for two months, but generally in the last 12 months you've got one of the few players in the world who can beat defenders, whose pace is electrifying, and who not only scores but assists as well. He's got everything to be the second best player in the world."
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Ronaldo is aiming for his third consecutive Ballon d'Or after back-to-back successes in 2013 and 2014, although he has his work cut out after ending last season without any silverware. He scored 29 goals in the second half of 2014/15 and became Real Madrid's all-time record goalscorer in October, but his performances this season have come under scrutiny.
"Ronaldo's influence on games has diminished, there's no doubt about that" Balague told Sky Sports. "The best Real Madrid ended in December after the Club World Cup and 22 consecutive victories. After that, according to [Real Madrid president] Florentino Perez himself, the team went into decay. That affected everybody, especially Ronaldo."
At the same time, Balague also says: "For me, he's the greatest goalscorer in history".

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Cristiano Ronaldo has usurped Raul as Real Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer after scoring against Levante on Saturday afternoon.The Portugal international racked up his latest milestone with a vicious strike from just outside the box, powering the ball into the far corner and beyond the reach of the goalkeeper.
The most remarkable thing about Ronaldo's achievement is that he surprassed Raul's tally in just 310 appearances in all competitions.
Ex-Spain international Raul played 741 times for Real over the course of a 16-year period between 1994 and 2010.
Ronaldo joined Madrid from Manchester United in 2009 for a then world-record fee of €94 million (£80m).
The 30-year-old struck 33 times in 35 appearances in all competitions in his first season in the Spanish capital but has since averaged more than 50 goals a season.
Ronaldo has also won a Champions League, a Liga title and two Copa del Rey crowns during his time at the Bernabeu, as well as claiming the last two Ballons d'Or ahead of Barcelona rival Lionel Messi.

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The father of Barcelona striker Neymar confirmed that Manchester United had tried to lure the star to the Premier League, but that the offer was dismissed. Brazil's captain is currently in talks to sign a long-term extension to his current deal at Camp Nou, with a final agreement likely at the start of 2016.
But on Thursday evening, Neymar Sr revealed that rumours which had linked Louis Van Gaal's team to a move for his son were accurate.
"The offer reached Barcelona and the club contacted us saying they were not going to sell [Neymar]," he told Boa Tarde Fox.
"They asked if we were interested, but that wasn't the case. Barcelona are not selling, he has three years still to go on his contract.
"It was Manchester's deal, but that offer is not on the table now, it has fallen through."

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The Real Madrid star scored 48 goals in 35 La Liga appearances last term to win the honour for the third time at Madrid, with his other triumph coming during the 2007/08 season at Manchester United.
It means Ronaldo becomes the first player in the awards' illustrious 47-year history to win the accolade four times.
"What a special moment in my professional life!" the 30-year-old said on his official Facebook page.
"Winning four Golden Boots is a privilege for me and I'll keep challenging myself because I want to do better every time and I want to keep chasing for more records.
"I have to thank everyone in Real Madrid that made this possible and we want to keep winning more titles and more trophies. Thank you everyone."
Long-term adversary, Barcelona maestro Lionel Messi, was edged out into second place, with his 43 goals in 38 Primera Division games unable to secure a fourth Golden Boot of his own.
Ronaldo was accompanied at the ceremony in Madrid by his mother, his son, Madrid coach Rafa Benitez, club president Florentino Perez and the Portuguese ambassador to Spain.
And speaking at the gala, Ronaldo revealed his hunger for further success was unrelenting, adding: "I never planned on winning four times. Maybe one or two yes but never four.
"I always want more. I know I am the only one to have four but I want more. That implies winning trophies with the world's greatest club.
"This year will be no different and we want to win La Liga, the Cup and the Champions League. I hope we see each other again next year."
Ronaldo is level with Raul in Madrid's all-time leading scorer charts with 323 goals and has the chance to surpass the Spaniard when Levante travel to the Bernabeu on Saturday.


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Cristiano Ronaldo says he misses playing alongside former Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney.
Ronaldo moved to United as an 18-year-old from Sporting Lisbon in 2003, while Rooney left Everton for Old Trafford a year later.
The pair went on to win three Premier League titles, the Champions League and one FA Cup together, before the Portugal captain joined Real Madrid in 2009.
Ronaldo admits it's a shame he no longer shares the same dressing room as the man he refers to as "pitbull" and hopes they're reunited in the future.
"I miss playing with Rooney. Maybe we can play again together some day," he said.
"He was the kid of England. Everybody loved him. He was so powerful I was calling him pitbull. The power of Wayne Rooney is his mentality and strength and he never stops.
"He's a fantastic team player and he scores! He's a fantastic boy and he helped me a lot when he came to join us in Manchester."
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Real Madrid coach Rafael Benitez is confident that Cristiano Ronaldo will soon get back to his goalscoring best in La Liga. The Portugal international netted five times in the 6-0 win over Espanyol, but has failed to score in each of Madrid's other four league games this term.
Benitez sees no reason for concern, though, and has stressed that Ronaldo remains a key figure for the Santiago Bernabeu side.
"It is not like I expect Ronaldo to score a certain number of goals. We have not set a target for him. But I know he will score a lot of goals," Benitez said.
"Ronaldo has a higher goal-to-games ratio than any other player. That is why he is a key figure for us."

Madrid were without Sergio Ramos in their midweek 2-1 win over Athletic due to injury, while Pepe picked up a knock against the Basque side, and both players are doubtful for Saturday's home fixture against Malaga.
"The injuries concern us somewhat but the balance remains a positive one," Benitez added.
"Sergio Ramos continues to progress well and we are assessing whether it is worth risking Pepe.
"Ahead of Malaga we have to stay focused. It was difficult against Granada last week and it will be the same for Saturday's game.
"We must continue to work hard so that we are able to compete for every title come the end of the season.
"We are doing well, but we are only at the start. We must lay the foundations for the team to finish strongly."
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Barcelona forward Neymar has confirmed that he was in talks with Manchester United over a potential move to Old Trafford, but says that the Premier League side failed to make a concrete offer. A possible move to Old Trafford was reported in August, before the transfer window closed, with Barcelona manager Luis Enrique refusing to be drawn on speculation in a press conference following the 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.
The Brazil international has now indicated that talks between his representatives and United took place, but an offer was not forthcoming.
“We had conversations, but there was nothing concrete,” Neymar told ESPN Brasil when asked about a potential move to United.
“I heard that there were offers, but none made it to me.”
Louis van Gaal's side were in the market for a forward player as the transfer window drew to a close, eventually opting to sign French striker Anthony Martial from Monaco, in a deal that could rise to £58 million.
But Neymar's comments may indicate that United are continuing to track the Barcelona star, with a view to a further opporunity to join the Old Trafford club in forthcoming transfer windows.


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The Portgual star, who scored five against Espanyol on Saturday to become Madrid's top scorer in La Liga history, took his tally to eight in two matches with a hat-trick in Tuesday's 4-0 Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk. And Benitez has no doubt that no player currently comes close to his phenomenal standards.
"There is no debate - he is the best in the world. I hold him in the highest regard," he said.
"I'm surprised that so much attention is paid to what people say about Cristiano and not to what happens on the field."
Benitez was delighted with the number of chances his side created against Mircea Lucescu's side despite accepting that they were not at their best.
"It was a difficult game. They're a good team in possession, they move between the lines and switch the play well, which makes it difficult to get control of the game," added the former Liverpool boss.
"In spite of all that, and without playing brilliantly, we did create a lot of chances."

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Barcelona coach Luis Enrique says the opportunity to become the first team to defend the Champions League is a "wonderful stimulus" and clams his side have to be considered favourites for the competition.
The Catalans open their European defence against Luis Enrique's former club Roma on Wednesday, just over three months since dispatching Juventus in last season's final.

Barca have made a 100 per cent start to their domestic campaign and Luis Enrique is hoping they can transfer that form to European competition, ending with further success in Milan in May.
"No, it is not an extra pressure, it's a wonderful stimulus," he told reporters.
"It's wonderful for the team, for Barca and for all Barca fans. We know it's very difficult and that nodody has ever done it but we'll try to do it.
"It's not pressure, quite the contrary. It's something of a cliche but if we're favourites because we won the league we have to be favourites for the Champions League because we are champions.
"Once the ball starts rolling there's no such thing as a champion but 32 teams who all want to be champion.
"Until it starts, all respect should be given to the previous champions, which is us."
Luis Enrique endured a difficult season at Roma before resigning in 2012, crashing out of the Europa League in the qualification stages before finishing seventh in Serie A and he feels he has learned from the experience.
"I feel a little bit older and I think it's been a normal process in a manager's career," he added.
"Coming here reminds me of positive things, it was a difficult year but my memories are positive. I've always said that regardless of memories, tomorrow is an important game.
"I have no-one to blame, it was my decision. I explained why I left but I don't really remember that well. I had my own things to worry about."
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Real Madrid manager Rafa Benitez has hailed Cristiano Ronaldo as “the best player in the world right now” ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League opener against Shakhtar Donetsk. Ronaldo had failed to score this season before Saturday’s trip to Espanyol, but he struck five times at Cornella-El Prat as Madrid racked up a 6-0 win.
“He is one of the best [I’ve ever coached], but I can’t say if he is the best because I have coached some very good players,” Benitez said in a press conference on Monday.
“Right now, though, he is the best player in the world.”
The Portuguese forward’s five-goal haul helped him pass Los Blancos legends Alfredo Di Stefano (227) and Raul Gonzalez (228) to become the club’s all-time leading goal scorer in La Liga with 231.
However, Benitez wouldn’t be drawn into comparing the three.
“I didn’t get the chance to watch Di Stefano in action, although I have been told he was a competitive player, as was Raul — Cristiano is just like them,” the Madrid coach added.
Ronaldo’s return to form is good news for the Benitez, who will also have been happy with Gareth Bale’s performance at the weekend.
The Welshman, playing in a role which grants him more freedom this season, created two of Ronaldo’s goals and won a penalty against Espanyol.
“They have freedom to move,” Benitez explained.
“We are creating moves in which players have to pass and move, so we have spoken to them both about the moves they have to make.
“Bale has pace and Cristiano drifts inside and the balance with James [Rodriguez], Isco and [Karim] Benzema is designed to create problems for our rivals.”

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NFL franchise Dallas Cowboys, despite having failed to win a Super Bowl in 20 years, have been valued at $4 billion (£2.6bn), with the Liga club down at $3.26bn (£2.1bn).

European champions Barcelona are the only other football team to make the top five, valued at $3.16bn (£2.05bn), behind both Super Bowl champions New England Patriots and baseball's New York Yankees.
Manchester United are the highest-ranked team from the lucrative Premier League, priced at $3.1bn (£2.01bn), thanks in part to a major new 10-year sponsorship deal with sportswear giant Adidas.
In the 18th edition of their annual review, Forbes has credited an impressive marketing strategy in America, as well as the revenue from their 90,000-seater stadium, as the keys to the Cowboys' financial success in the past year.
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The Chelsea coach gave Varane his big break during his time in charge at the Bernabeu by playing him ahead of Pepe during his final season in charge in 2012-13. But despite being a huge admirer of the centre-back, Varane says Mourinho knew exactly how to push his buttons to get the best out of him.
He told Le Journal du Dimanche: "During my second year at Madrid, Jose Mourinho gave me a kick up the backside. I wasn't doing well, I wasn't managing to do what he wanted me to out on the pitch.
"So he chided me, saying: 'Why don't you run in training?' My first reaction was to mutter, 'Oh come on...' But I knew he was right, I had more to give."
Varane praised Mourinho's man-management skills and added that he needs to be put under persistent pressure to avoid falling into the trap of complacency.
"Mourinho doesn't need to give long speeches," he continued. "He's direct and to the point. What he said to me was for my own good. Without regular pressure like that, I can tend to rest on my laurels."
The France international then remembered two encounters with Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane and former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson before he decided to join Madrid.
"Zidane called me and I asked him to call me back because I was studying for my baccalaureate. It's my relaxed nature that made me react like that. You have to be carefree to deal with so many things like that at a young age.
"But to be honest, after that call, my mind was elsewhere; it was hard to focus on revising! It was the craziest period of my life.
"I was getting ready for the baccalaureate, the phone was ringing off the hook, I visited the Real facilities, I met Alex Ferguson...Just imagine, I was doing exams and signing autographs for other students. It was surreal. I'm really proud that I passed."

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The Old Trafford club's pursuit of Sergio Ramos earlier this summer was widely reported, with the defender ultimately choosing to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu and extend his contract.
But Perez has revealed that Louis van Gaal had his eye on three additional Madrid stars, all of whom ignored advances from clubs to remain with Rafael Benitez's men for 2015-16.
“We know that United showed interest in Bale, Benzema and Varane,” Perez told Cadena Ser.
Bale has been linked with Manchester United for almost a year, with his troublesome second season at Madrid causing some to speculate he would return to England two years after leaving Tottenham for €100 million.
But that La Liga-to-Premier League move never materialised, with France international Benzema also rejecting any suggestions he might leave the Spanish capital for interested suitors Arsenal.



Varane has been linked with United since he was a highly-rated prospect at Lens, but Zinedine Zidane's presence at Madrid helped the club beat their Champions League rivals to his signing in 2011.
With the Madrid trio all staying put, United turned their attention to Monaco on deadline day when they signed teenage forward Anthony Martial in a move that could eventually be worth an estimated £59m.
The Red Devils also signed Memphis Depay, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin, Matteo Darmian and Sergio Romero in a busy transfer window.
The 2012-13 Premier League champions sit fifth in the table after four matches, with Manchester City, Crystal Palace, Leicester City and Swansea City ahead of them.

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The Camp Nou veteran is well versed in winning silverware, picking up three Champions League crowns, five La Liga titles and the Copa del Rey trophy three times so far in his career.
Just last season Busquests played a key role in Luis Enrique's men winning the treble for the second time in Barca's history, and he suggested football's lasting happiness beats off any competition from lovemaking.
"In football, happiness lasts three or four days," he told Spanish TV show El Hormiguero. "Sex, on the other hand, can last just one minute!”
Although Barca have enjoyed lots of success in 2015, Busquets knows all too well the downsides that come with being a professional footballer.
"After a bad game you just go home, shut the door and you don't want to go out for three or four days," he added.
"Fans don't insult you after a bad day, but many of them remind you it was not your best one."
Busquets also gave his thoughts on Real Madrid and Manchester United's failure to get their David de Gea-Keylor Navas swap deal tied up before Monday's deadline.
"It seemed a done deal – often players are the ones who suffer as they don't know their future," the Spain star said of his international team-mate, De Gea.
"I have little to say on the issue. He was ready to change Manchester United for Madrid but... David will be happy anyway."
Busquets has featured in four of Barca's five competitive games so far in 2015-16, missing only the Blaugrana's shock 4-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of the Supercopa de Espana.

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Griezmann had a spectacular debut season following his move from Real Sociedad last summer and a number of European giants, including Bayern Munich and Chelsea, were believed to be on his trail.


According to AS, the duration of Griezmann’s deal has not been altered – he is still under contract until 2020 – but his buyout clause, which was previously set at €65m (£46.1m), has been raised.


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Barca want to loan out the Croatian youngster and a number of teams, most notably Sporting, Everton and West Ham United, are keen to sign him on a short-term deal. Hamburg were the front-runners to snap him up, but they pulled out of the deal as they could not guarantee him a certain amount of playing time this season.


“I have spoken with Halilovic to tell him what I expect of him,” Abelardois quoted as saying by Spanish news agency EFE. “At this time the decision is in the hands of the player."He is a player that will add [something] because there is nothing similar in the squad. If he comes we will be delighted to receive him and if not, [we hope that] he has good luck wherever he goes.”

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The coach watched as Mikel San Jose netted a superb 45-yard opener before the floodgates opened in the second half with Aritz Aduriz's hat-trick against last term's treble winners, who rotated their team following Tuesday's Uefa Super Cup win over Sevilla.
Nevertheless, Valverde is refusing to let his team be lulled into complacency, warning that their hosts for the return leg of the season curtain-raiser are capable of pulling off a stunning comeback.
"The 4-0 result is not definitive for either side," the 51-year-old said after the match. "Against another team, 4-0 would be enough to all but seal the trophy, but not against Barcelona.
"It's true that it was a convincing result that catches the eye because Barcelona don't concede four goals very often. It was a magical night and we'll see if we are capable of finishing off the job on Monday.


"But there's still plenty of work to do. We know what to expect at Camp Nou. The tie is more even now than before tonight's game because we have a lead, but we'll have to suffer a lot and we're aware of that.
"Nothing is set in stone because Barca are capable of anything."
The Basque side will be eager to get one over their rivals following defeat in the Copa del Rey final at Camp Nou last term.

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The Champions League winners conceded the opener from Mikel San Jose's spectacular 45-yard effort after Marc Andre ter Stegen's mistake, with Aritz Aduriz componding their misery when he stroked home Athletic's fourth from the spot after the referee awarded a penalty against Alves.
The defeat comes just days after they scraped to victory in the Uefa Super Cup, beating Sevilla 5-4 thanks to a late goal from Pedro.
Alves insists Luis Enrique's men must respond by giving a top account of themselves in front of their own fans during the return leg of the Supercopa, in order to have any hope of winning the trophy.
“We'll try to come back, we'll be buzzing at home," the 32-year-old, who renewed his contract with the Blaugrana in June, told reporters. "Ninety minutes at Camp Nou is enough time for us.


"We must not look for excuses such as fatigue, a long pre-season, travelling or anything like that. No, we must improve everything. We'll try to overcome the deficit and give the best version of ourselves.
"It's not normal to concede eight goals in two games, we need to balance ourselves out, we can't do what we did in these games. We have to keep making steps forward if we want to keep winning."
Regarding the penalty he gave away, Alves said: “It is what it is. The referee sets the rules."
The treble winners' are targeting a sextuple in 2015 after winning everything last term, but failure to defeat Athletic on Monday will see the possibility disappear.
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Sky Sports' Spanish football expert Guillem Balague has said that City have already made a bid for the player.
He told Sky Sports News HQ: “At the moment, what we understand is that Manchester United are willing to go to €28m (£20m) plus another €2m (£1.4m) in variables, so they’re very close to it.
“But City is willing to pay – and this is a recent offer – €30m (£21.4m) plus another €2m (£1.4m), so above the buyout clause.”
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