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UCL: Ronaldo outshines Messi to help Juve win over Barca

Cristiano Ronaldo netted two penalties as Juventus secured top spot in Group G with a 3-0 victory over Lionel Messí’s Barcelona at Camp Nou on Tuesday evening.

Juve won a penalty in the 12th minute. Ronaldo was played in by Juan Cuadrado and got one-on-one with Ronald Araujo in the area. After the Portuguese forward headed towards the byline, Araujo dragged him down and the referee pointed to the penalty spot with no hesitation. Ronaldo dusted himself off and sent Marc-Andre Ter Stegen the wrong way to give the visitors the lead.

10 minutes later, fresh of scoring his first Serie A goal, Weston McKennie scored the Bianconeri’s second and his first Champions League goal. Cuadrado again had space on the right, this time he floated a right-footed cross towards Ronaldo and McKennie near the penalty spot. McKennie then produced an acrobatic right-footed volley to slam past Ter Stegen in the middle of Barcelona’s goal.

Lionel Messi then took matters into his own hands, driving in from the left before drilling a low left-footed effort from 20 yards out. Gianluigi Buffon was more than capable of responding to Messi’s effort as he got down well, diving to his left to tip the shot around the post.

In the 36th minute, Messi had another chance. Jordi Alba was slid in by his captain out wide and immediately looked to return the favour with Messi running onto the return pass before his left-footed effort was saved well by Buffon moving to his right in goal.

Juve won their second penalty of the game for Clement Lenglet’s handball in the 51st minute and Ronaldo this time powered a more convincing penalty into the same corner as Ter Stegen once again went the wrong way.

Seven minutes later, Antoine Griezmann met Messi’s left-footed free-kick with a flicked header towards the far post. The Frenchman’s effort travelled over Buffon’s head before clipping the top of the crossbar on its way out of play.

Read Also: Juve boss reveals what Messi is suffering after failed exit

The Old Lady thought they had a fourth when Leonardo Bonucci bundled the ball over the line, but after VAR consultation, the centre-back was deemed to have been offside in the buildup and the goal was ruled out.

However, that didn’t matter as the Bianconeri still leapfrogged their rivals into top spot on goal difference with the win.

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