Barcelona’s Lionel Messi has scored more club free-kicks in 2019 alone than Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo has over the last 959 days
- Lionel Messi lit up the Nou Camp once again for Barcelona against Liverpool
- The Barcelona star scored twice in the Champions League clash on Wednesday
- The Argentine scored a sublime free-kick for his second goal of the night
- The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has now scored four free-kicks already in 2019
Lionel Messi continued his great rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday night, producing yet another magic display for Barcelona against Liverpool.
Messi lit up the Nou Camp once again, scoring twice – including a sublime 35-yard-free-kick, to down Liverpool 3-0 in the first leg of Barcelona’s Champions League semi-final.
Messi curled his set-piece right into the top left corner of Alisson’s net, leaving the Liverpool goalkeeper with absolutely no chance in Barcelona.
Lionel Messi shone yet again as Barcelona beat Liverpool 3-0 at the Nou Camp on Wednesday
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored a sublime free-kick, which is his fourth already in 2019
The Argentine’s second goal was his fourth free-kick scored already in 2019, which is just as many as Ronaldo has netted in the past 960 days.
Former Real Madrid and now Juventus star, Ronaldo, netted his last free-kick all the way back in December 2017.
Ronaldo’s first of his previous four scored free-kicks came against Sporting Lisbon on September 14, 2016.
The 34-year-old is still waiting to convert a free-kick for Juventus after signing from Madrid in the summer of 2018.
Messi produced his usual magic to put Barcelona on the brink of yet another Champions League final.
Luis Suarez opened the scoring against his former club Liverpool in the first-half, before Messi added Barca’s second and third goals in the 75th and 82nd minute.
Ernesto Valverde’s side will be very confident heading into the return leg at Anfield next Tuesday but know they must be wary of Liverpool coming out the blocks all guns blazing.
If Barcelona progress to the final in Madrid, they will meet either Ajax or Tottenham, with the Eredivisie giants leading 1-0 heading into the second leg in Holland.
It has taken Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo 960 days to score four free-kicks
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo has struggled from free-kicks in recent years
