Barcelona vs Juventus, UCL 2020-21: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo Resume Rivalry, Could It Be For the Final Time?
Lionel Messi, now 33, has had an underwhelming season so far as the Argentine, despite excelling as a playmaker, has struggled to find the back of the net on regular occasions. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has had a great start, being the second-leading scorer in Serie A, but has seen himself miss the action more often than he would have liked.
Barcelona and Juventus will face each other in the final Group G game of the UEFA Champions League 2020-21 at the Nou Camp Stadium. The two teams met earlier in October this season in Turin with the Catalan side emerging as 2-0 winners and Lionel Messi getting himself on the scoresheet. The Bianconeri missed star man Cristiano Ronaldo due to the COVID-19 diagnosis in that fixture. However, this time the Portuguese is fully fit and will face his old foe for possibly the last time. Lionel Messi Tribute to Diego Maradona! Barcelona Star Celebrates in Iconic Newell’s Old Boys Shirt.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been at the top of the footballing world for over a decade as with each passing season, the two have set themselves apart from the others. But, after years of dominance, the behemoths of football are now entering the twilight years of their careers and its effect could be seen on the field. Cristiano Ronaldo Nets 750th Career Goal During Juventus vs Dynamo Kyiv.
Lionel Messi, now 33, has had an underwhelming season so far as the Argentine, despite excelling as a playmaker, has struggled to find the back of the net on regular occasions. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has had a great start, being the second-leading scorer in Serie A, but has seen himself miss the action more often than he would have liked.
Cristiano Ronaldo, now 35 years of age, over the years has become accustomed to playing day in day out but this season has been rested frequently by manager Andrea Pirlo to keep his star striker fresh. The same can be said for Lionel Messi as the Argentine has missed the last two UCL games, with Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman suggesting it was a technical reason to give his captain some rest for important games.
So with both the players declining physically in the final few years of their footballing careers, this could possibly be the last time the two rivals face each other while being somewhat close to their previous best as the possibility of retirement looms near.
Barcelona and Juventus as expected are the top two teams in their Champions League group but the Catalan side occupies the top spot. However, a big win for the Italian giants will could see them overtake the Spanish team and go through as the section winners.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 07, 2020 05:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).