Ronaldo and Messi: Time for the legends to make their mark

From what the whole world saw in the past 36 hours, there’s been a widely held assumption that there is a tectonic shift in the corridors of power. Spain’s cycle of dominance is at an end and the mantle has been passed onto the mighty Germans.

Hang on a minute, will you? There are two gentlemen who, in almost everyone’s eyes, occupy world’s best and second best positions – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. I need not mention what these two are capable of doing to any opposition. Hence you have both BvB and Bayern sounding notes of caution about progressing to the final. As the famous saying goes, ‘It ain’t over till the fat lady sings!’

I must admit that both BvB and Bayern were way better than their Spanish counterparts in the first leg. They made stellar teams like Barca and Real look like 2^nd division sides, which is a massive compliment to the preparations which the Germans underwent. The first leg played out to perfection for these two sides and, if we were to hold a poll now, I’m sure that we would get 93 people out of a 100 saying that it’s an all-German final at Wembley. And based on what we saw in the two matches, who would blame them?

Here lies the catch. Let us cast our minds back to the 2003-04 UCL season. AC Milan had beaten Deportivo La Coruna 4-1 in the first leg of the quarterfinal in Milan and almost everyone looked ahead to the semis. But the unthinkable happened. Milan was vanquished 4-0 by a dominant Depor with the likes of Luque and Pandiani wreaking havoc on the visiting defenders. As the footballing world watched wide-eyed, AC Milan were kicked out of the Champions League. In another instance, a certain Monaco side came back from a 4-2 loss to Real Madrid in the 1^st leg of the quarterfinal to win 3-1 in the 2^nd leg and go through. These examples just go to show that big deficits can be overcome not only in theory, but also in practice.

Now come Messrs Ronaldo and Messi. These guys are heroes for their sides. Time and again they’ve performed to superhuman levels and scored truckloads of goals not just in La Liga, but also in Europe. Not once, but time and again. The 2^nd leg is a chance for these two to literally drag their sides from the abyss to the promised land – Wembley. If anyone’s capable of upsetting the German applecart, it is these two. The class and skills these two have are unbeatable. They take the level of the game to new heights. Messi’s mere presence was the reason Barca drew 1-1 against PSG and went into the semis. Ronaldo scored in each leg to dump his ex-side Manchester United out of the Champions League. When these guys are on song, nothing and no one can stop them.

If these guys had an inkling of boredom about the game, it is gone. If they needed a massive challenge to showcase what they are made of, here it is. It is now time for CR7 and Leo to rise and deliver the goods for their sides. It goes without saying that their teammates will have to play beyond themselves at two formidable grounds, the Santiago Bernabeu and the Nou Camp. Their efforts will go a long way in helping these legends of football cement their already exalted status as the best in the game. They have to work their socks off to make home advantage count. With early goals and sustained pressure, the Germans might just start to worry. Ninety minutes to do or die for Barca and Madrid. This is nothing against the German sides, who have been scintillating thus far. But on a personal level, I want the two best players in the game to compete on the biggest stage in club football. That would be the stuff of legend.