Ranking Lionel Messi's 10 favourite opponents in the UEFA Champions League
Lionel Messi is widely regarded as one of the best players in the history of the UEFA Champions League, and the game in general.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has won the competition four times, two of them as part of continental trebles. He is one of only two players, Cristiano Ronaldo being the other, to score over 100 goals and eight hat-tricks in the Champions League.
The PSG attacker recently made more history in the competition by joining Ronaldo as the only player to score against 38 different teams.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have both scored against a record 38 different TEAMS in the Champions League.
Excluding those two, only 15 players have scored more than 38 #UCL goals in total. 🤯 https://t.co/Lb4eTlT7ZH
Over the years, the Copa America 2021 winner has enjoyed scoring against certain teams more than he has against others. On that note, here's a look at Messi's 10 most favourite opponents in the Champions League in terms of goals scored:
#10 Manchester United - 4 goals
Lionel Messi was determined to make amends after drawing blanks against Manchester United in the 2007-08 Champions League semi-finals.
Only a year later, he scored one of the most memorable goals of his career against United. That strike, a rare headed goal from the diminutive Argentinian, came in the 2009 final after Samuel Eto'o had given the Blaugrana an early lead.
Latching onto a delightful cross from Xavi, Messi seemingly hung in the air for a while before heading the ball past a stunned Edwin van der Saar. Barcelona beat the holders 2-0 on the night to become the first Spanish team to win the continental treble.
Messi isn't known for scoring headers, but he scored this one in the biggest game of all, the 2009 #UCL final! 🎯
https://t.co/9DLuDV6Psn
Two years later, Messi was at it again, scoring in Barcelona's 3-1 win against the same opponents in the 2011 Champions League final. Eight years later, Messi scored a brace as Barcelona beat United 4-0 on aggregate to reach the 2019 semis.
#9 Bayern Munich - 4 goals
Lionel Messi scored a brace in his first meeting with Bayern Munich. That came in the first leg of the 2008-09 Champions League quarter-finals. He drew a blank in the away leg, but Barcelona went on to win the competition that year.
Messi drew another blank two years later as Bayern Munich humbled Barcelona 7-0 on aggregate in the 2012-13 semis en route to winning the title. However, things were different when the Argentinian met the Bavarian giants at the same stage of the competition two years later.
The 34-year-old scored a brace in the first leg as Barcelona won 5-3 on aggregate to win the competition. Interestingly, both times Messi scored against Bayern, his team won the Champions League.
⏪ Throwback to THAT Lionel Messi goal vs Bayern Munich 😱
https://t.co/fQW7rAnykQ
Five years later, though, Messi was a pale shadow of his illustrious self. Bayern beat Barcelona 8-2 in a single-legged 2019-20 Champions League quarter-final.
#8 Olympique Lyon - 5 goals
Lionel Messi has scored in all but one of his five Champions League games against Ligue 1 heavyweight Olympique Lyon.
He scored in both group games against the French team in the 2007-08 group stage. A year later, Messi scored in the Round of 16 second leg at home as Barcelona won 6-3 on aggregate.
Almost 10 years later, Lyon still didn't have the answers against Messi. He scored a brace and also bagged as many assists as the Blaugrana won 5-1 on the night and on aggregate to reach the 2018-19 quarter-finals.
GOAL!
Lionel Messi scores a Panenka penalty to put Barcelona ahead against Lyon.
Follow all the action from the Nou Camp here: skysports.tv/AZ8lxz https://t.co/dDR5iBu4ZS
Barcelona went on to lose against Liverpool in the semi-finals that year.
#7 PSG - 6 goals
Lionel Messi has scored six times against his current club Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Messi scored in his first meeting with the Ligue 1 giants in the first leg of the 2012-13 quarter-finals. Four years later, he scored twice in four games against PSG - both times in the group stage and none in the quarter-finals.
In 2016-17, Messi was one of the scorers as Barcelona overhauled a 4-0 first-leg deficit to win 6-1 on the night to reach the last eight.
Leo Messi in 2017 for Barcelona:
Games 15
Goals 12
🔥🔥🔥 #UCL https://t.co/SImBFBkdqY
Four years later, he scored in both legs of Barcelona's 5-2 aggregate defeat to PSG in the Round of 16.