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This weekend’s Champions League games have been one of the most exciting in recent years. Not only did it give football fans amazing goals to savor, but it also presented the chance to once again watch Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in successive days.
Since Ronaldo left Real Madrid for Juventus last summer, the football world has barely seen both players go toe-to-toe in any competition like they used to do in La Liga. However, their rivalry appears to have been rekindled on Europe’s grandest stage – in the Champions League.
On Tuesday, Ronaldo inspired Juventus to a 3-0 win over Atletico Madrid at the Allianz Stadium. The Portuguese scored a sensational hat-trick to ensure that the Serie A champions overturned a 2-0 first leg deficit to progress to the quarter-final of the competition.
Having watched Ronaldo receive all the praise for his performance, Messi also took centre stage during Barcelona’s second leg clash against Lyon on Wednesday. The Argentine did not score a hat-trick, but he netted twice and also provided two assists as the Spanish side won 5-1.
In the aftermath of the game, Messi praised Ronaldo for his hat-trick, saying: "What Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus did was impressive."
"I thought Atletico Madrid would be tougher. Ronaldo had a magical night with three goals."
Asked about the probability of facing Ronaldo’s Juventus in the next round of the Champions League, Messi answered: "All of the opponents are complicated. Ajax, for example, showed that they're an amazing team of youngsters and they don't fear anyone. It'll be difficult no matter who we face. We have to prepare ourselves for a tough challenge."
But on Twitter, though, fans have once again ignited the perennial Messi vs Ronaldo debate, arguing out who the better player is between both players.
Here are some of the best tweets:
