'It's a signal from god!' - Fans react as Messi misses a penalty and Ronaldo scores
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have shaped football in the 21st century and their rivalry, albeit a friendly one between the pair themselves, is a constant talking point.
Their actions on the pitch sparks the debate of who is the better player back into life, and the events on the evening of Tuesday 15 February did this to the maximum.
In Paris Saint-Germain's crucial last-16 first-leg clash against Real Madrid, Messi missed a penalty, with Los Blancos 'keeper Thibaut Courtois preventing him from opening the scoring.
Almost simultaneously, Ronaldo ended his goal drought at Manchester United, to score the opener against Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League.
Naturally, this provoked a debacle on Twitter.
Here's how fans reacted to those two instances.
How have fans reacted?
Messi misses a Penalty on the other side for PSG, at the same time Cristiano Ronaldo breaks his long time drought by putting Manchester United ahead. You can't write this stuff up😂😂😂
Viva Ronaldo🔥🔥 #MUFC #MUNBHA— (bLVK SHERIFF) 🗿👑💙 (@ItsKingWanga) February 15, 2022
Ronaldo goal and Messi penalty miss at the exact same time is just fate😭
— Lyés (@WholeLottaLyes) February 15, 2022
Messi had to miss a penalty for Ronaldo to score his first goal of the year?
Talking about We Rise By Lifting Others? Goat 🐐 stuff pic.twitter.com/5g2vpXj0ci— Yuri 🏗 (@Yurickane) February 15, 2022
Ronaldo scored his goal 54 seconds after Messi missed his penalty. Whatever helps I guess.
— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) February 15, 2022
Messi penalty miss and Ronaldo goal in the same minute pic.twitter.com/3CKYXURJeb
— ✍️ (@ADV14i) February 15, 2022
Ronaldo scoring Messi missing, life is all about balance you see.
— Harry Pinero (@harrypinero) February 15, 2022
Messi misses his penalty and
2 seconds later Ronaldo scores his 1st goal of 2022.
It's a signal from god that things are finally getting back to normal.— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) February 15, 2022
Messi misses a massive penalty in a huge Champions League game the exact moment Cristiano Ronaldo scores a beautiful goal. Football is poetic
— Filipe Orlando (@MrFilipeOrlando) February 15, 2022
How have they both performed this season?
In the summer of 2021, the pair both switched clubs for the first time ever, with Messi finally leaving Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain and Ronaldo re-joining Manchester United from Juventus.
Neither have hit the heights they've reached in the past, with Ronaldo scoring eight goals in the Premier League this season, with the strike against Brighton his first of 2022, and Messi netting just twice in Ligue 1, although he has produced eight assists.
The pair have both impressed on the whole in the Champions League this year, however. Ronaldo has scored six, while Messi has found the back of the net five times in the competition.