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- Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will go head-to-head for the primary time in over two years as FC Barcelona host Juventus within the closing sport of the Champions League group phases on Tuesday.
- The pair haven’t clashed since Ronaldo left Actual Madrid for Juventus in 2018.
- It could possibly be the final time they face off with Messi as a Barcelona participant, with the Argentine having handed in a switch request in the summertime.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will go head-to-head for the primary time in over two years as FC Barcelona host Juventus within the closing sport of the Champions League group phases on Tuesday.
The pair haven’t clashed since Ronaldo left Actual Madrid for Juventus in 2018, with the Portuguese ahead having missed Barcelona’s journey to Turin earlier within the season because of having examined constructive for COVID-19.
Each groups have already certified for the Champions League’s knockout phases, with Barcelona needing to keep away from to defeat to complete prime of Group G.
—FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 7, 2020
Messi and Ronaldo first met on the sphere all the way in which again in 2008 when Barcelona met Manchester United within the Champions League semifinals.
Ronaldo emerged victorious over the 2 legs, nonetheless since then, it has been the Argentine who has had the higher hand of their iconic rivalry.
In 33 video games in opposition to each other for membership and nation, Messi has been on the profitable facet 16 instances, whereas Ronaldo has received 9, and there have been eight attracts. Messi has additionally scored 22 targets in 35 video games between the 2, whereas Ronaldo has scored 19.
“It has been a pleasure to see [Ronaldo] and Messi competing for targets, for titles as the perfect, however very totally different, gamers of the final 15 years,” Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman mentioned forward of the match.
“Now we once more get to get pleasure from them each.”
The match could possibly be the final time Messi meets Ronaldo as a Barcelona participant
Until Barca and Juventus draw one another within the knockout phases of this years Champions League, Messi could also be sporting totally different colours for match 37.
The 33-year-old attempted to force a move away from the Camp Nou in the summer by handing in a switch request, nonetheless backed down after the Catalan membership refused to sanction his launch.
Nonetheless, along with his contract expiring in the summertime, Messi is free to speak to new golf equipment as of January.
Manchester Metropolis was thought to to be favorite for Messi’s signature, however after head coach Pep Guardiola said he would prefer the forward to see out his career at Barcelona, it’s now Paris Saint Germain which is the frontrunner to land the Argentina worldwide.
PSG ahead Neymar, who performed alongside Messi at Barcelona between 2013 and 2017, recently urged his former teammate to move to the French capital next term.
“What I would like most of all is to play with Messi once more, to have the ability to get pleasure from him as soon as once more on the pitch,” the Brazilian mentioned.
“He can play in my place, I’ve no drawback with that! However I wish to play with him subsequent yr, for positive. Now we have to do it subsequent season.”
Learn extra:
Lionel Messi has been fined for paying tribute to Diego Maradona in a match
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