Can Messi Break Ronaldo’s Record?
Lionel Messi will have the chance to break Cristiano Ronaldo’s Champions League group-stage goals record when Barcelona face Borussia Monchengladbach at Camp Nou on Tuesday.
The Barcelona ace needs a hat-trick against Borussia Monchengladbach on matchday six to surpass his Real Madrid rival’s tally of 11 goals
Ronaldo netted an incredible 11 times during last season’s group stage, with four of those goals arriving during a remarkable display against Malmo on matchday six, but his historic haul is now under threat, with Messi having rediscovered his most prolific form this term.
The Argentina international has racked up nine goals in just four outings – he missed Barca’s trip to Monchengladbach through injury – and now knows that a hat-trick in the return fixture against the Bundesliga outfit would see him surpass his great rival.
While a hat-trick might seem like an arduous task for Messi, it is worth remembering that no player has scored at least three goals in a single Champions League game more times than the diminutive attacker.
Indeed, he has already netted two trebles in this season’s tournament, against Celtic and Manchester City, to make it a record-breaking seven hat-tricks in total for the 29-year-old forward.
Furthermore, if he can repeat the feat against Monchengladbach on Tuesday, Messi will not only break Ronaldo’s group-stage record, he will also move level with the Portuguese on 95 overall Champions League goals.
