Share
Sports

Ronaldo inspires praise, and more goals, from Messi

Share

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Now playing in different countries, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo still find ways to inspire one another to new heights.

Ronaldo captured the attention of the soccer world on Tuesday when he scored a hat trick to lead Juventus past Atletico Madrid and into the Champions League quarterfinals.

Not to be outdone, Messi responded a day later by scoring twice and providing two assists to turn a balanced matchup against Lyon into a 5-1 blowout.

But while the talent gap between them is almost imperceptible, their public displays remain unmistakably dissimilar.

Ronaldo used an obscene gesture, mimicking a similar one by Atletico coach Diego Simeone during the first leg, after the final whistle of the 3-0 win in Turin.

When asked about his goals, Ronaldo said “that’s why Juventus signed me.”

Messi, in contrast, followed up his outstanding performance by praising Ronaldo.

“What Cristiano and Juventus did was incredible,” Messi said after Wednesday’s win at Camp Nou. “I was surprised because I honestly thought Atletico would be stronger, but Juventus ran over them. Juventus is very powerful and besides that it has Cristiano, who had a magical night with his three goals.”

Messi worked a bit of his usual magic as well.

The Argentina forward gave his team the lead against Lyon with an early penalty. And just when the French team pulled a goal back for 2-1 and was pressing for a draw that would have sent them through, Messi took control by scoring a solo goal when he wrong-footed a pair of defenders. He then set up two more goals.

“We did everything we could to stop (Messi), but when he is playing like this he is one of the best players of all time,” Lyon coach Bruno Genesio said. “He was like Ronaldo. He put the team on his shoulders.”

Messi and Ronaldo dueled for nine years in the Spanish league before the Portugal forward opted to move to Juventus. Despite facing off directly in two league matches each season, they also met several times in other competitions and were constantly compared, week in, week out.

With the Champions League now down to the final eight, they could be back on the same field soon. The quarterfinal draw is on Friday.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winners have met five times in the Champions League. Ronaldo’s Manchester United edged Barcelona in the 2008 semifinals, but Messi got revenge a year later when he scored in a 2-0 victory over United in the final. They met again in 2011 semifinals, when Messi scored twice to help Barcelona eliminate Real Madrid.

Related:
'Larger Than Life' NBA Legend and Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo Dies at Age 58

Both players have winning the continent’s elite tournament again as a priority. Messi has won it four times, Ronaldo five.

Messi promised his fans he would do all he could to win another European Cup at the start of the season, while Ronaldo is surely eager to prove he was the reason Madrid won it for four of the past five years.

Messi counts Juventus as one of the top candidates standing in his way, but it is not alone.

“There are several very good teams,” Messi said. “(Manchester) City, Juventus… Ajax has shown that it has a great team of younger players who aren’t afraid of anyone. Liverpool has a lot of firepower like it showed against Bayern (Munich).

“We’ll have to see who we are drawn with and prepare for what is to come, which will be the hardest part yet.”

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/apf-Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
,
Share
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.
Location
New York City




Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.

Conversation