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Lionel Messi's Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus go head to head on the final matchday of the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League group stage.
From qualification perspective, this game is a dead rubber, as both teams have already progressed to the knockout stages, but top spot in the group is up for grabs. Juventus will win the group if they triumph at Camp Nou by at least three goals.
After contracting COVID-19, Cristiano Ronaldo missed the earlier group-stage clash between the two sides, a game Barcelona won 2-0 in Turin. Juventus have since recovered from that setback to qualify for the Round of 16.
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If Andrea Pirlo is serious about finishing on top of Group G, be rest assured that the Juventus talisman will start at Camp Nou. However, Lionel Messi could be rested for the game if Ronald Koeman decides to preserve the Argentine for the La Liga, where Barcelona are currently struggling.
Nevertheless, if both players do start on Tuesday, it would be the 36th time that the two best players of the generation would go head to head in a football pitch.
The last time these two legends faced off was in La Liga in 2018 when Cristiano Ronaldo played for Barcelona's arch-rivals Real Madrid. That game ended 2-2, with both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo claiming a goal apiece to bring a fitting end to their nine-year-long rivalry in Spain's top division.
If we dive into the statistics, Lionel Messi definitely has had his Portuguese counterpart's number in the pair's head-to-head rivalry.
In the 35 games that they have played against each other, the Argentine has been on the winning side on 16 occasions while Cristiano Ronaldo's teams have emerged victors ten times; nine other games ended in draws.
Lionel Messi has also proven to be more effective than his great rival in the 35 games between the pair, scoring 22 goals and providing 12 assists - a goal-scoring contribution every 90 minutes.
In comparison, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 19 goals and provided only one assist in these games for a goalscoring contribution every 145 minutes.
Five times Lionel Messi has got the better of Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi has produced many an iconic performance against teams featuring Cristiano Ronaldo. On that note, let's have a look at five such occasions when Lionel Messi got the better of Cristiano Ronaldo.
#1 2009 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2009 Champions League Final between Barcelona and Manchester United in Rome was among the earliest meetings between the two greats, when the duo was yet to etch their names in the record books. The game turned out to be one that would set the tone for their future encounters.
With the 24-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo playing what would be his final game for Manchester United, the occasion - Champions League final - couldn't have been any bigger in club football.
The 21-year-old Lionel Messi came into the game with his side on course for a historic treble while Manchester United were looking to become the first team in the Champions League era to successfully defend their title.
Manchester United seemed to be the better team in the game's opening exchanges, with Cristiano Ronaldo even getting a couple of chances to score within the first ten minutes. However, the tide soon changed after Barcelona opened the scoring, and the balance of the game turned decisively in favour of the Blaugrana.
The defining moment of the final came in the 70th minute when Manchester United, who were chasing the game, put men forward to leave their defence vulnerable.
Xavi took advantage on the edge of the Manchester United area and sent in a cross that was met by none other than Lionel Messi, who looped the ball over keeper Edwin Van der Sar to score a rare headed goal.
For a guy only 1.7 meters tall and often called a 'midget' for his physical limitations, Lionel Messi scored with a stunning header.
Barcelona went on to claim their second Champions League title in four years, and their little magician won his first-ever Ballon D'or award a few months later.
For Cristiano Ronaldo, the torrid night would end with a booking to go with several missed chances. The final act of Cristiano Ronaldo in a Manchester United shirt before his transfer to Real Madrid that summer proved to be an anticlimactic one.
#2 2011 Spanish Super Cup
The Supercopa de Espana - Spain's traditional season opener - between Barcelona and Real Madrid was a fixture everyone looked forward to in 2011, despite the tournament not being counted among major trophies.
Why would one not when Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo locked horns when with each other when they were in their primes?
The two-legged tie certainly lived up to its billing. With the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu ending 2-2, the reverse fixture in Camp Nou was as good as a final.
Ronaldo scored a scrappy goal, but Lionel Messi produced a performance for the ages. The Argentine opened proceedings with a defence-splitting pass to Andres Iniesta that negated Real Madrid's entire backline. That left the Spaniard with only the Merengues goalkeeper Iker Casillas to beat, which Iniesta did with aplomb.
However, Real Madrid equalised five minutes later with the slightest of touches from Cristiano Ronaldo.
Just before half-time, a weak clearance from Sergio Ramos fell to Lionel Messi at the edge of the Real Madrid area. The diminutive Argentine controlled the ball brilliantly with his chest and then pounced on a back-heeled pass from Gerard Pique to chip the ball over Iker Casillas.
Cristiano Ronaldo's last-ditch effort to stop his rival came to nought as the Portuguese went sliding on his knees, and Lionel Messi celebrated with the Camp Nou faithful after restoring his side's lead.
The game was far from over though, as Real Madrid drew parity in the 82nd minute through Karim Benzema. However, Lionel Messi wouldn't let another final against Real Madrid go to extra-time.
The Argentine scored a beautiful left-footed volley from Adriano's cross, netting Barcelona's winner after Lionel Messi set himself up with a pass to the Brazilian that took out three Real Madrid defenders.
#3 2010-11 Champions League Semi-Final
Since his move to Real Madrid, 2011 was the first year when Cristiano Ronaldo found some success against Lionel Messi's Barcelona.
Ronaldo scored an extra-time winner in the Copa Del Rey Final that year to deny the Blaugrana a second continental 'treble' in three years. That set the tone for Real Madrid's Champions League semi-final with Barcelona a week later.
After being denied silverware by Cristiano Ronaldo and co, Lionel Messi was itching for a virtuso performance against Real Madrid. And he did produce one when the two La Liga giants renewed acquaintances in the Champions League.
In the first-leg clash at the Santiago Bernabeu, La Pulga got ahead of Sergio Ramos and volleyed in Ibrahim Afellay's cross. But what followed next was simply magical.
Akin to a wizard practicing the purest form of his craft or an artist painting a live mural with almost robotic perfection, Lionel Messi silenced a partisan 70,000-strong crowd with a moment of ethereal brilliance.
In the 87th minute, lionel Messi passed the ball to Sergio Busquets, whizzed past four bedazzled Real Madrid players and scored at the far post from a difficult angle to leave Sergio Ramos on the floor, Iker Casillas gobsmacked and Cristiano Ronaldo rubbing his head as if in disbelief.
Barcelona won 2-0 on the night and went on to win their second Champions League title in three years.
#4 2013-14 La Liga
The 2013-14 La Liga season was one of the most fiercely contested in years. For the first time in over a decade, Barcelona and Real Madrid had a worthy rival in gritty Atletico Madrid, and the three sides traded the La Liga lead on numerous occasions that season.
Going into the second El Clasico of the season late in March, Real Madrid were on top of the table with ten games to go. A win in that game would have pretty much put third-placed Barcelona out of the title race and leave the Merengues with only Atletico Madrid to deal with. However, Lionel Messi had other ideas.
Messi assisted Iniesta's opener with a pass that split Real Madrid's back four. The home side quickly regained control with a brace from Karim Benzema. However, Lionel Messi brought things back on level terms just before half-time when he pounced on a loose ball inside the box to beat Diego Lopez at the near post.
Early in the second half, Cristiano Ronaldo fired Real Madrid ahead from the spot. However, Barcelona received two spot-kicks of their own, the first of which got Los Blancos captain Sergio Ramos sent off to give Barcelona a numerical advantage.
Lionel Messi scored both penalties to complete only his second-ever hattrick at the Santiago Bernabeu, kissing his beloved Barcelona badge in front of forlorn Madrid supporters.
The defeat derailed Real Madrid, as they dropped ten points over the next nine games to finish a distant third. Barcelona didn't win the league themselves; they could only draw at home against Atletico Madrid on the final day of the season when they needed a win as Los Colchoneros won their first league title since 1996.
#5 2016-17 La Liga
Once again, a La Liga title hung in the balance when Real Madrid and Barcelona met at the Santiago Bernabeu with seven games remaining.
Real Madrid were on top of the league table with a game in hand while Barcelona desperately needed a win to stay in the title race. Madrid were the far better side that season while Barcelona were falling apart under Luis Enrique.
It turned out to be one of the few Clasicos of the decade where Real Madrid created more chances than Barcelona.
After Casemiro's early goal, Lionel Messi restored parity for the visitors in the 33rd minute, biting a towel in his mouth to stop the bleeding after a clash with Marcelo.
Barcelona then led ten-man Real Madrid, who had Sergio Ramos once again sent-off in a Clasico, before James Rodriguez's equaliser brought the hosts back on level terms.
Unbelievable as it may sound, but in the final 15 minutes of the game, Real Madrid completely dominated proceedings despite being a man dowm, but that eventually proved to be their undoing.
Real Madrid got carried away and committed too many men forward in a bid to win the game and put the title race to bed. Barcelona made Madrid pay for their profligacy by stringing a brilliant transition move in the 92nd minute.
Sergi Roberto ran the entire length of the pitch to set up Jordi Alba's cross to the incoming Lionel Messi who took a first-time shot with his magical left foot.
Messi was anything but muted in his celebrations. He ran off to stick it up to the Bernabeu faithful, removing his shirt and kissing the Barcelona badge.
Cristiano Ronaldo was absolutely furious at his Real Madrid teammates for not committing a tactical foul to break the play and prevent Lionel Messi from scoring the winner. The Portuguese didn't shy away from showing his frustration on the pitch.
However, unlike in the 2013-14 season, Madrid's title ambitions didn't flounder this time after a defeat to Barcelona. They won their next six games to take home the La Liga title in what remains one of the club's most successful seasons in recent history.
