Lionel Messi closes on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Champions League goal record with the race to 100 edges close
Argentine maestro is just six Champions League goals behind his nemesis after Manchester City hat-trick
LIONEL MESSI is closing in on Cristiano Ronaldo’s remarkable Champions League goalscoring record.
The Argentine bagged a hat-trick in Barcelona’s 4-0 thumping of Manchester City on Wednesday taking his total tally to 89.
His nemesis Ronaldo is currently the leading goalscorer in Champions League history with 95 but failed to find the back of the net in Real Madrid’s 5-1 win over Legia Warsaw.
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Both are expected to hit 100 goals but the race to a century is a fascinating one.
Ronaldo’s form has taken a dip this season after scoring just four in his first eight matches – his worst goalscoring start to a campaign since making his £80million switch to the Bernabeu in 2009.
Champions League top scorers
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 95
2. Lionel Messi – 89
3. Raul – 71
4. Ruud van Nistelrooy – 60
5. Andriy Shevchenko – 59
6. Thierry Henry – 51
However despite recovering from an injury layoff, Messi has wasted no time in returning with a bang with four in his last two matches and has yet to hit top form.
With Celtic, Borussia Monchengladbach and Man City still to play in Group C, the mini maestro will be aiming to add to his 89 goals before the round of 16 whilst hoping Ronaldo stutters as Real Madrid still have Borussia Dortmund, Sporting Lisbon and Legia Warsaw still to play.
Either way it could be a long time before any player overtakes the two greatest players in world football.
Below the duo in the goalscoring charts is Raul who managed 71.