Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman said Lionel Messi will face Juventus in the Champions League, which means he will play against Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time since 2018.
With Juve and Barca drawn in the same group, it was anticipated that Messi and Ronaldo, who between them have claimed 11 of the previous 12 Ballon d’Or awards, would face off for the first time since the Portugal international left Real Madrid in 2018.
However, Ronaldo tested positive for coronavirus ahead of their proposed first meeting at the Juventus Stadium in October and missed out, as Barca claimed a 2-0 win with Messi scoring in that game.
But this time, despite fears the Argentina captain would be rested with qualification confirmed, he has been included in the squad to face the Bianconeri and will play some part.