Real Madrid left a poor image in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, when He fell for the minimum account in Paris, before the millionaire PSG team. Not so much because of the result, but because of the little intention the team showed in getting close to Gianluigi Donnarumma’s goal.
But in the most winning team in history, he seeks to reverse that squalid scenario. In a confrontation full of curiosity, not only because of the presence of Kylian Mbappé, whose signing seems sung for the next season. but also for the return of Lionel Messi to Chamartin. The former executioner of him on so many occasions with Barcelona, today in its worst version since it premiered in professionalism, 18 seasons ago.
Because The Argentine’s first year in the City of Light has been anything but spectacular. Since making his debut for the Qatari-controlled club last Augustthe current Ballon d’Or winner -seventh in his career- has only scored seven times: twice in Ligue 1 and five in the top continental tournament.
A squalid figure, only comparable to the season in which La Pulga debuted in professionalism, in that already distant 2004-’05. Throughout this period, Rosario only dialed once with the Barcelona shirt, when he was just 17 years old.
After that premiere, Messi only had two seasons with so few goalscorers. In 2005-’06, the man from Newell’s Old Boys scored eight wins, taking into account the same calendar date. However, in that campaign he suffered a rebellious tear that left him two months without playing.
In 2006-’07, he also scored eight times till the date. Of course, during that period he had a broken foot that left him out of the court for almost three months.
Thereafter, In the following fourteen seasons, not counting the current one, the Argentine averaged, always up to this date, 35.4 goals. With a peak of 53 conquests in the 2012-’13 academic yearthree more than he got in the season before that.
The truth is that today, at 5:00 p.m. from Chile at the Santiago Bernabéu, a different story will be written before the meringue painting, current leader of LaLiga. One of the Argentinian’s favorite rivals. Because the white giant is the painting he faced the most: 46 matches; and the fifth who scored the most: 26 goals.
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