Rivalry in sport is an issue that has existed since its inception. That essence of competitiveness means that the athletes themselves end up reaching a level never seen before. A few years ago, the duels between Real Madrid and Barcelona were not only entertaining due to the mere history of conflicts that surround both teams, but also took on a different tint with the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The comparisons of the trophies and the statistics generated a greater interest in that derby. However, the Argentine was always beyond that.
For Lionel Messi it was never a match once morest Cristiano Ronaldo, but it was always a match once morest Real Madrid. And it’s funny, how his main antagonist ends up being part of the most decisive moments of his career. Since his debut in the derby in 2005, Rosario has not stopped becoming an executioner for the Merengues. In fact, Real Madrid is the fifth team that Messi has scored the most goals once morest in his entire career.
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Today, 17 years have passed since Messi first played once morest Real Madrid (almost the same age as Xavi Simons). 15 seasons ago the Argentine converted a “Hat-Trick” at the Camp Nou once morest the ‘White House’ at just 20 years old. And it was almost 60 months that had passed since he hung up his number 10 jersey at the Santiago Bernabéu. Today is a totally different scenario, because Messi will host the Parc des Princes and with the PSG shirt, but the mentality remains the same.
Messi’s goals once morest Real Madrid
Although it is a special duel for the Argentine because he will face this challenge with a totally different perspective, he is someone who is more than used to this type of confrontation. Messi played once morest Real Madrid 46 times, converting 26 goals: 18 in La Liga, 6 in the Spanish Super Cup and 2 in the Champions League. At the same time, Rosario has 19 wins, 11 draws and 15 losses once morest the Merengues. Although it is true that it is not a great percentage of points obtained, in a knockout series that statistic will not matter.
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Messi’s blacklist
- Seville: 38 goals
- Atletico Madrid: 32 goals
- Valencia: 31 goals
- Athletic Bilbao: 29 goals
- Real Madrid: 26 goals
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How does PSG arrive?
The reality is quite complicated for the team led by Mauricio Pochettino because they might only win 1 home game in the last 6 games they played in the Champions League. The absence of Sergio Ramos and the unknown regarding Neymar’s physical condition generates doubts regarding the possibilities of breaking a Real Madrid that is more than solid. But on the positive side, each game seems to be more oiled partnership between Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi.
In the matches once morest Leipzig (3 to 2) and Manchester City (2 to 0) for the Champions League, the duo between the two caused havoc in the rival defense. Of course, bearing in mind that in this edition of the competition the away goal ‘is not worth double in the event of a draw’, Real Madrid is going to close in on their field so as not to get a bad result and to be able to define the series on the 9th of March at the Santiago Bernabéu. Therefore, the creative freedom between Messi and Mbappé is going to be key to destroy the plan that Carlo Ancelotti is going to implement.
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