Cristiano Ronaldo could not find the exact words to describe his feelings whenever he fights Lionel Messi.
The Portuguese forward emphasized that 'it is a privilege' to fight toe-to-toe with Messi, and he can never see it as a rivalry.
"It's always beautiful to play against him," Ronaldo said when he praised Messi.
The Champions League Group G battle arranged the most anticipated reunion of football superstars, Ronaldo and Messi, for the first time since 2018. It was a 'dream clash' as described by football enthusiasts, but Juventus FC proved to be a bigger team in the league after ripping Barcelona FC in a resounding 3-0 win at the Camp Nou.
Since Ronaldo's arrival at Juventus, it took them a long time to battle each other. Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or awardee, missed the reverse fixture after he contracted Covid-19 last October 13.
On the other hand, Messi had just come back for his Barcelona-return after he missed two league matches, together with teammate Frenkie De Jong.
Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman chose to rest the two for a match against Dynamo Kyiv and Ferencvaros. The Dutch coach hoped that his well-rested aces could play at their best when facing the much stronger teams on the road.
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The long-time La Liga top player pedaled two penalties in the 13th and 52nd minutes of the game. Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie kicked his 20th-minute goal to bolster a 2-0 lead and extend it later to 3-0 for the final flush.
The recent win handed Juventus the top spot in Group G with a 6-5 card while trailing is Barcelona. The Catalan-based team also totes a 6-5 card but is at current second on goal difference.
Despite the loss, Barcelona has already qualified to the knockout stage with the leading club Juventus.
Before the game, the former Real Madrid player was coldly welcomed by the Barcelona fans, but Messi took the opportunity to offer his Portuguese rival a friendly hug.
Ronaldo only won 11 games coupled with nine ties, while Messi has yet to be surpassed with his 16 wins in all of their duels.
"I've always had a cordial relationship with him, I never saw him as a rival. It's the press that creates the rivalry. If you ask Leo, he'll tell you the same thing," Ronaldo said from an interview with Movistar.
It is the first time that Barcelona fell behind in the group ranking since 2006-2007, when Liverpool FC obliterated them in the 16th round of the Champions League, 1-0.
Juventus' win over Barcelona is their 10th in their last 11 games in the Champions League group stage match.
Ronaldo and Messi had squared off for five times already in the Champions' League, wherein three of their outings were Ronaldo's stint with Manchester United, and two were still with Real Madrid.
Their historic war in the European Cup put them in the apex of the all-time greats. They both recorded 100 goals in the kicking clash, the only players to do so. Overall, Ronaldo accomplished the most number at 132, while Messi had 118 goals.
Ronaldo and Messi were also at par in the total number of hat-tricks in the league with eight. The superstars also shared a record of 36 trebles across La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and Premier League, the top five European leagues.
For the final touch, Ronaldo and Messi had joined the ranks of elite players Mohamed Salah and Ronaldinho, who are included in the award nomination for the Player of the Century with legends Diego Maradona and Pele as the previous awardees.
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