5 clubs Lionel Messi has scored the most goals against in the UEFA Champions League
Lionel Messi is a Champions League behemoth. He is one of only two players to score over 100 goals in the competition.
On Tuesday, the Argentine opened his account for Paris Saint-Germain in a marquee Champions League game against Manchester City at the Parc des Princes. The former Barcelona man rolled back the years with a sensational strike against the visitors to rubberstamp PSG's win on the night.
It was his first goal scored for a club not called Barcelona. But Lionel Messi is no stranger to playing against Premier League teams. In fact, his goal last night was his seventh against the Sky Blues, making them one of his favourite teams in Europe.
On that note, here's a look at the five clubs Messi has scored the most goals against in the UEFA Champions League:
#5 Manchester City - 7 goals (7 games)
Messi's tally of seven goals against Manchester City makes the Sky Blues his second-favourite English side.
Before last night, all of the Argentine's previous six efforts came in Barcelona colours. That started with a goal apiece in both legs of the last-16 tie in the 2013-14 season.
After firing a blank the next season at the same stage, Messi made amends in the group stage of the 2016-17 campaign. He scored a hat-trick to spoil Pep Guardiola's return to the Camp Nou again.
7 - Lionel Messi has scored more UEFA Champions League goals against Man City (7) than any other player, while his seven goals against sides managed by Pep Guardiola (two vs Bayern Munich, five against Man City with him as manager) are also the most of any player. Haunting. https://t.co/wPAYIZTx2R
In the second leg at the Etihad, Messi was on target again. But the Sky Blues gained some measure of revenge with a 3-1 win over the La Liga giants. However, City were once again at the receiving end against Messi on Tuesday.
#4 Bayer Leverkusen - 7 goals (3 games)
Messi has played against six German sides. But his most prolific goalscoring spree against a Bundesliga team has come against Bayer Leverkusen. Messi has scored seven goals against them in just three games.
That includes his famous five-goal haul in 2012, which made Messi the first player to score five times in a Champions League game. That feat has been emulated only once since then.
On This Date: 7 years ago, in a win over Leverkusen, Lionel Messi became the first player to score 5 goals in a Champions League game 🐐 https://t.co/cuyYvcObpa
The Argentine was also on target in the first leg against Leverkusen in Barcelona's 10-2 aggregate win that year. Messi later returned to haunt them again in 2015. In a group-stage game, Messi netted a sizzling strike at the BayArena to help Barcelona secure a 1-1 draw.