'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Lionel Messi loves scoring against English clubs. He has scored 22 goals already against English Clubs in the Champions League and is the player who has scored the most goals against English sides in the tournament. For the record, Ronaldo is second on that list, with 12 goals. The Argentinean seems to relish the opportunity to face Premier League sides and has scored against all English opposition apart from Liverpool - whom he has faced twice without scoring.
As such, when the Champions League draw on Friday pitted Barcelona against Manchester United, it meant that Messi would be back in England, his old hunting ground, against Old foes. And that has led us to delve deep and bring to you the 5 English clubs that Messi has scored against in the Champions League.
#5 Manchester United
Goals Scored - 2
Messi has faced the Premier League giants on four occasions in his career and Manchester United would not forget him in a hurry.
The first time Messi played against Manchester United was in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Semi Final of the 2007/08 season. The game ended in a 0-0 draw as a young Messi looked lively, but failed to make a mark. In the return leg, Messi was very impressive and gave the United defence a pretty hard time. However, Paul Scholes stole the show, scoring the only goal of the game and taking United to the Finals.
But the diminutive Argentinean made up for it in the next couple of times that the two sides met. The first was in the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final. United, attempting to defend the title for the first time in the history of the tournament, came up with a defiant Lionel Messi, who scored a spectacular header in the 70th minute to take the game away from the reigning Champions after Eto'o had scored the opener for Barcelona.
Two years later, both teams made their way to the finals again, and United once again came short of an inspired performance from Lionel Messi - who was adjudged the man of the match. The Argentinean scored a beautiful goal as Barcelona won the game 3-1.
#4 Tottenham Hotspur
Goals Scored - 2
Messi faced the North London club for the first time in the group stages of the Champions League this season and he certainly made a lasting impression on Mauricio Pochettino and his men in the game at Wembley.
Also Read: Lionel Messi confirms his status as the goat against Tottenham
After cutting Tottenham into two with a heavenly pass that led to the first goal, Messi ran riot in the pitch, showing why he was the best in the world. He even hit the upright in the second half, but the Argentinean was far from done. Messi scored two goals to put the game to rest, with the final score 4-2. Mauricio Pochettino hailed his countryman as "unbelievable" after the game.
Tottenham visited the Camp Nou in December for a game that ended 1-1. Messi started from the bench, came on for the last 27 minutes, but could not get on the scoresheet.
As of now, Lionel Messi has 2 goals in 2 games against Tottenham Hotspur.
#3 Chelsea
Goals Scored - 3
Chelsea are the one team in the Premier League who have given the Argentinean a lot of headaches. Lionel Messi has 3 goals and 3 assists from 10 games against the Blues, stats that are a tad inferior when compared to his standards. Until very recently though, the stats were even lower.
Before last season, Messi had faced Chelsea 8 times in his career in the Champions League and he had failed to score in all of those games, even though he did pick up two assists. However, all that was about to change in the 2017/18 season.
Barcelona met Chelsea in the round of 16 last season. In the first leg at the Stamford Bridge, the Argentinean equalized in the 75th minute to end the game 1-1. The return leg, though, was all about Messi.
The Barcelona No. 10 opened the scoring in the 3rd minute at the Camp Nou, before setting up Dembele to score the second in the 20th minute. The Premier League side had no answer to the genius of Lionel Messi, as he scored again in the 63rd minute to seal the tie.
In the Champions League, as of now, Messi has 2 wins, 6 draws and 2 losses against the blues.
#2 Manchester City
Goals Scored - 6
Lionel Messi has a fantastic record against the current Premier League champions. The Argentinean has scored 6 goals in 6 games against City in the Champions League so far.
The Barcelona Skipper first scored against City in the very first meeting between the two sides. In the Round of 16 tie of the 2013/14 season, Messi scored from the spot at the Etihad, as Barcelona won 2-0 on the night. He was on the scoresheet again at the Camp Nou, as Barcelona won 2-1 to progress to the quarterfinals.
The two sides met again in the same stage of the competition in the following season, but Messi failed to score in both legs, even though Barcelona won the tie. In the 2016/17 season, the two teams were pitted together in Group C. Messi scored a fantastic hattrick at the Camp Nou and also set up Neymar for another as Barcelona won 4-0 at home. The Argentinean scored again at the Etihad, but City rallied to win the game 3-1.
Even though Messi's form against the current Premier League champions is impressive, but there's one team in England he enjoys playing against even more.
#1 Arsenal
Goals Scored - 9
Lionel Messi absolutely loves facing Arsenal on the field. Of all the teams from England, the Argentinean has scored the most goals against the Gunners in the Champions League.
Messi missed the final of the 2005/06 Champions League against the Gunners, as he was injured. Barcelona won the game 2-1, but Messi had to wait to get his hands on his favourite opponents.
The opportunity arrived in the 2009/10 Quarter Finals. After a 2-2 draw at the Emirates, which Messi failed to score in, the Argentinean lit up the return leg at Nou Camp. He scored 4 goals as Barcelona won 4-1 to progress into the Semi-Finals.
Messi next faced Arsenal in the round of 16 in the 2010/11 season. After failing to score at Emirates again - even though he did pick up an assist in the 1-2 defeat, the Argentinean scored a brace at Camp Nou as Barcelona won 3-1.
In the 2015/16 season, the two teams met again in the round of 16. Messi scored 2 at Emirates and one in the Nou Camp.
The Argentinean has 9 goals and 1 assist from 6 appearances against Arsenal and has won 4, drawn 1 and lost just 1 against the Gunners.
