After knocking Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) out of the Champions League, Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller poked fun at Lionel Messi while conceding that playing against Cristiano Ronaldo was trickier at club level. Bayern Munich defeated PSG 2-0 in the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 match on Wednesday night at the Allianz Arena. The Parisians, who suffered a dispiriting 3-0 aggregate loss after losing 1-0 in the first leg at the Parc des Princes Stadium, were eliminated from the competition.
In both legs against the Bavarians, Lionel Messi cut a frustrated figure. Messi was perfectly neutralised by Bayern manager Julian Nagelsmann, who prevented the PSG star from slipping behind the defence or frequently linking with teammates. As a result, Muller made fun of Lionel Messi’s inefficiency after the game, claiming that Cristiano Ronaldo was far more difficult for to handle when he was playing for Real Madrid.
We always do well against Lionel Messi – Muller boasts Argentine is easy to play against than Ronaldo
Lionel Messi has a dismal track record against the Bavarians in the UEFA Champions League. In the continental tournament, the PSG No. 30 has met Bayern eight times, winning only twice and losing a staggering five times. He has managed only four goals thus far against the six-time European winners. In the quarterfinals of the 2019/20 Champions League, Bayern inflicted a historic 8–2 defeat on Barcelona, with the 2022 FIFA World Cup champion was in the Blaugrana side.
Wednesday night was another quiet outing for the 35-year-old against Bayern as he couldn’t inspire a comeback for the Parisians. However, his attacking partner Kylian Mbappe too ghosted for most of the game, and Messi was left to face ruthless challenges from Bayern players, giving the talismanic playmaker no chance to settle in the game. In his post match presser, Muller further piled misery on the ex-Barca captain, as he told the reporters:
“When it comes to results, we always do well against Lionel Messi – at all levels. At club level, it was always Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid who was a problem for us. Messi’s individual performance at the World Cup was amazing. He carried the whole (Argentina) squad. It’s not so easy to play at a team like PSG. It’s difficult to get a really good team balance.”
Ronaldo, on the other hand, had frequently made Bayern Munich suffer during his time with the Los Blancos. He has scored nine goals in eight games against them, helping his team to five victories. All five of Real Madrid’s goals, including a hat-trick in the 5-4 aggregate victory in the quarterfinals of the 2016/17 Champions League between the two sides, were scored by the Portuguese superstar. He has only faced defeat against Bayern twice in his career.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner however left Europe in December last year to join Saudi side Al Nassr after Manchester United terminated his contract. Ronaldo looks well settled with the Riyadh-based outfit, having scored eight goals in seven games. On the other hand, his all-time rival Lionel Messi is now slated to make a decision on his PSG future, with his current deal with the club expiring in the summer.