In a 2021 interview, Italy and AC Milan legend Alessandro Nesta admitted that Barcelona icon Lionel Messi destroyed his morale withinside the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League.
Milan and Barcelona have met four times this season, twice in the group stage and twice in the quarter-finals. Messi-led Barcelona won his two games and drew in his remaining two games, while Messi scored three goals and two assists in his four games.
In an interview with Calciatori Brutti, Nesta recalled how exhausted Messi was in this season’s encounters. The Italian legend, who was 35 when he faced Messi, admits the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi has overtaken him countless times, making him feel older than he is. I was.
“In the 10th minute, I kicked him (Messi) and fell to the ground exhausted, seeing stars,” Nesta said. “Then he held out his hand to help me up. I was on the ground, and when I opened my eyes two seconds later, I saw his face and his hand as he wanted to help me up. That destroyed me mentally.”
Messi has scored 73 goals in 60 games for Barcelona this season. Surprisingly, Barça missed out on both the Champions League and La Liga titles this season, with Bayern Munich his number one and Real Madrid his second.
Lionel Messi’s PSG beat Cristiano Ronaldo’s Riyadh All-Stars XI in Riyadh Seasons Cup friendly
Lionel’s Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo may have last met at King’s Fahd International Stadium in Saudi Arabia on Thursday (January 19) when PSG played Riyadh’s All-Stars. Ronaldo captained the Riyadh All-Star XI, which featured players from Al Hilal and the new Portuguese club Al Nasr. The game ended with him 5-4 in his favor for PSG, with both Messi and Ronaldo recorded on the scoresheet.
Messi opened the scoring for PSG with his first left-footed goal just three minutes into the match. Ronaldo equalized with a penalty in the 34th minute and celebrated his first goal in Saudi Arabia with great enthusiasm. Juan Bernat was sent off for a foul on his Daussari at Salem Al, but his PSG of 10 took the lead thanks to his 43rd-minute goal from Marquinhos.
Neymar missed a penalty in the 45th minute, but Ronaldo equalized again in first-half injury time. Sergio Ramos scored in the 53rd minute, but it was canceled just three minutes later by Hyunsu Chan’s strike.
Mbappe scored a penalty in the minute to make PSG 4-3 before substitute Hugo Ekticke doubled the visitors’ lead in the 78th minute. Substitute Riyadh his All-Stars Anderson his Talisca scored the last and possibly best goal of the game in stoppage time by slamming a shot from outside the box into the goal net. Ronaldo was named Most Valuable Player thanks to his excellent braces.
