Two of the best players in the world faced off this morning when Juventus took on Barcelona in the Champions League.
Photo via Reuters
Juve’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Barca’s Lionel Messi went head-to-head for the first time since 2018 – in a throwback to Ronnie’s days at Real Madrid.
In the end it was Ronaldo who came away with the bragging rights, scoring two penalties as Juve romped to a comfortable 3-0 victory.
This helped the Portuguese superstar take his goal tally over the course of his club career to 650 – compared to Messi who is on 641.
It also extended Ronaldo’s dominance over Barcelona on their home turf – he has now scored 14 goals in his last 13 matches at Camp Nou.
This morning’s defeat will also sting a little more for Messi as it sends Barca through to the Champions League last-16 as group runners-up, meaning they’ll get a tougher draw for the knockout round.
Photo via Sports Illustrated
Regardless of the result, it was a joy to see Ronaldo and Messi renewing their rivalry on the field.
With both getting on in age (they’re in their 30’s) and playing in different leagues, such matches don’t come around very often.
The good news is there’s still a chance that Juventus could face Barcelona in the later stages of the Champions League knockout round…so let’s keep our fingers crossed!
By: Nicholas Darren John
