'It's a signal from god!' - Fans react as Messi misses a penalty and Ronaldo scores

Cameron Smith
Cameron Smith
  • Updated: 15 Feb 2022 21:50 GMT
  • 5 min read
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
© ProShots

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.

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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?

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.

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