After being swept aside by the two Bundesliga giants, both Ronaldo and Messi need to give a performance of a lifetime in a bid to steer their clubs out of dire straits.
As things stand, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich could be set to play each other in the final of the Champions League at Wembley. After dismantling their respective Spanish oppositions in the coldest of fashions possible, there is a high probability of seeing an All-German UCL final for the first time ever.
Bayern Munich beat Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg while Real Madrid were thrashed 4-1 at the hands of Borussia Dortmund. Both results mean that the two giants of Spanish football are left with a mountain to climb. And it is quite right to suggest that these two teams need a miracle.
Indeed being on the receiving end of such humbling defeats is something both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi rarely experience. Moreover, seeing their respective sides crumble against the two German teams led many people to question the credentials of two players who, for quite some time, have been considered the greatest players modern football has seen.
The rate at which both Ronaldo and Messi score is simply out of this world and it is very unlikely to see any current player replicate their feats. However, all those past achievements, all those Ballon D’Ors and other accolades will not be there to help them when two of the biggest football stars on the planet don the respective jerseys of their clubs, with a mission to achieve the impossible.
During the 4-1 humbling at the hands of Dortmund, Ronaldo was largely kept quiet by Neven Subotic and co. And, if Jurgen Klopp’s tactical brilliance is anything to go by with, it is very likely to see the German tactician deploy a plan to keep the Portuguese maestro quiet for most parts of the game.
The same goes for Lionel Messi who has seemed a shadow of his usual phenomenal self in the last two Champions League outings. During his team’s 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain, Messi was able to influence his team’s performance despite not being fully fit. And, nothing really changed for the Argentine who was unable to be at his best against a Bayern Munich side that was successful in keeping him quiet.
Barcelona need to score at least five goals against a defensively solid side at the Camp Nou – a feat that if they are able to accomplish, would go down as one of the biggest comebacks in the history of football. And in order to do that, Messi needs to give a performance of a life time.
Real Madrid on the other hand, need to score three goals without conceding one against another defensively strong German side. Although the mission is nigh impossible, it has happened before for the Spanish giants.
Way back in 1986, Real Madrid were thumped 5-1 by Borussia Monchengladbach in the third round of the UEFA Cup. However, the Spanish giants claimed one of the greatest comebacks in the history of European football and scored four goals against the Germans at home to go further in a competition which they eventually won.
History of Champions League and European football is littered with instances of great comebacks so one should not rule out two more. Moreover, any team having the likes of Messi and Ronaldo in the dressing room has every right to believe. However, both men have to be at their flawless best in order to inspire their sides to a comeback that surely is a stuff of legends.
But one certainly has to question whether the two impeccable’s deserve all the hype if they fail to drive their respective sides out of the current misery.
In case they do not however, questioning their credentials would be a little premature as all great players go through bad patches during their careers.
Bayern Munich beat Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg while Real Madrid were thrashed 4-1 at the hands of Borussia Dortmund. Both results mean that the two giants of Spanish football are left with a mountain to climb. And it is quite right to suggest that these two teams need a miracle.
Indeed being on the receiving end of such humbling defeats is something both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi rarely experience. Moreover, seeing their respective sides crumble against the two German teams led many people to question the credentials of two players who, for quite some time, have been considered the greatest players modern football has seen.
The rate at which both Ronaldo and Messi score is simply out of this world and it is very unlikely to see any current player replicate their feats. However, all those past achievements, all those Ballon D’Ors and other accolades will not be there to help them when two of the biggest football stars on the planet don the respective jerseys of their clubs, with a mission to achieve the impossible.
During the 4-1 humbling at the hands of Dortmund, Ronaldo was largely kept quiet by Neven Subotic and co. And, if Jurgen Klopp’s tactical brilliance is anything to go by with, it is very likely to see the German tactician deploy a plan to keep the Portuguese maestro quiet for most parts of the game.
The same goes for Lionel Messi who has seemed a shadow of his usual phenomenal self in the last two Champions League outings. During his team’s 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain, Messi was able to influence his team’s performance despite not being fully fit. And, nothing really changed for the Argentine who was unable to be at his best against a Bayern Munich side that was successful in keeping him quiet.
Barcelona need to score at least five goals against a defensively solid side at the Camp Nou – a feat that if they are able to accomplish, would go down as one of the biggest comebacks in the history of football. And in order to do that, Messi needs to give a performance of a life time.
Real Madrid on the other hand, need to score three goals without conceding one against another defensively strong German side. Although the mission is nigh impossible, it has happened before for the Spanish giants.
Way back in 1986, Real Madrid were thumped 5-1 by Borussia Monchengladbach in the third round of the UEFA Cup. However, the Spanish giants claimed one of the greatest comebacks in the history of European football and scored four goals against the Germans at home to go further in a competition which they eventually won.
History of Champions League and European football is littered with instances of great comebacks so one should not rule out two more. Moreover, any team having the likes of Messi and Ronaldo in the dressing room has every right to believe. However, both men have to be at their flawless best in order to inspire their sides to a comeback that surely is a stuff of legends.
But one certainly has to question whether the two impeccable’s deserve all the hype if they fail to drive their respective sides out of the current misery.
In case they do not however, questioning their credentials would be a little premature as all great players go through bad patches during their careers.
