What Messi Said About Ronaldo’s Hat-trick Against Atletico
REUTERS/Massimo Pinca
Lionel Messi has heaped praise on Cristiano Ronaldo for his performance against Atletico Madrid.
The Portuguese superstar was sensational against Los Rojiblancos, as he scored a hat-trick to help Juventus overcome a first leg 2-goal deficit and win the tie 3-2 to proceed to the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
While the entire footballing fan-base has been appreciative of Ronaldo’s display at the Old Lady, praise has now arrived from an unexpected source: his arch-rival and a fellow GOAT, Lionel Messi.
Messi himself dropped a brilliant performance in the Champions League on Wednesday night, as he bagged two goals and two assists in a 5-1 demolition that helped Barcelona knock Lyon out of the continental competition.
WATCH: Players Reaction To Ronaldo’s Hat-trick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg3XOihKVH0
After the win at Camp Nou, the Argentinian was asked about Ronaldo’s antics from the night before, to which he replied (via MARCA): “What Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus did was impressive. I thought Atletico Madrid would be tougher. Ronaldo had a magical night with three goals.”
The Barcelona skipper further went on to speak about his side’s potential quarter-final opponents, as he added: “All of the opponents are complicated.
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“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.”
Then speaking about his team’s showing against Lyon, Messi stated: “We went for the match from the start and moved the ball around well. There was a bit of suffering after they made it 2-1, as we’d made it tough for ourselves at a set piece.
“They hadn’t done anything until then. Luckily we then made it 3-1 and we could be calm again. The goal for the 3-1 had a bit of suspense, but luckily the ball made it. At 3-1 we found a lot more space and we could come out quickly on the counter attack.”