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| Messi failed the penalty kick and could not prevent the team from dropping out of the quarter-finals. © AFP=News1 |
Lionel Messi of Barcelona (Spain) and Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus (Italy) were eliminated side by side in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) round of 16.
They weren’t just dropping out, they each provided a sign of defeat with a PK failure and an easy defense, earning more pride. It is even more bitter when I recall the’good times’ of Menaldu (Messi + Ronaldo), who are recording the 1st place in UCL’s all-time scoring (Ronaldo, 135 goals) and the 2nd place (Messi and Ronaldo).
Messi scored one goal in the 2nd leg of the 2020-21 UCL Round of 16 against Paris Saint-Germain (France) on the 11th (hereinafter referred to as Korean time), but failed the penalty kick that gained extra time in the first half, which was tense 1-1. It was a regrettable kick that did not go well with the usual nickname of’Penalty Kick Master’.
It is assumed, but if Messi’s penalty kick was successful and reversed to 2-1 and finished the first half, the second half could be followed. However, the team’s momentum was shaken by Ace’s failure.
Eventually, Barcelona could not overcome their 1-4 defeat in the 1st leg and ended up in a 1-1 draw and handed over the tickets to the quarterfinals to Paris Saint-Germain.
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| Ronaldo is being pointed out as the cause of the team’s elimination due to his uneasy defense at the decisive moment. © AFP=News1 |
Ronaldo provided the foundation for a conceding goal in the second leg of the 2020-21 UCL Round of 16 against Porto on the 10th.
In the 10th minute of the second half of the tension, when Porto’s Sergio Oliveira attempted a low-hanging free kick, Ronaldo, who stood on the defensive wall, avoided himself in a staggered position. At this time, the ball penetrated into a small gap that Ronaldo avoided, leading to a goal.
In particular, this goal was a bigger blow for Juventus as it was Porto’s’away goal’. Juventus, who lost 1-2 in the first leg of the away game, failed to advance to the quarterfinals even though they made up for one goal afterwards.
It was a scene where Ronaldo couldn’t be a goal in the trajectory, even if Ronaldo stood there without avoiding. Local Italian media are criticizing intensely, saying, “Ronaldo’s fatal mistake brought Juventus to hell.”
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| Mbappe scored three goals in the first leg of the round of 16, followed by one goal in the second leg. © AFP=News1 |
On the other hand, Kylian Mbappe (22) of Paris Saint-Germain and Elling Holland (20) of Borussia Dortmund (Germany), who are expected to become the next-generation stars following Menaldu, succeeded in advancing to the quarterfinals with a big success. It’s an activity and result that contrasts with’Menaldu’.
Mbafe, unfortunately, scored a penalty kick in the very game where Messi was frustrated by failing the penalty kick.
Mbafe became the team’s hero by scoring three goals in the first leg of the round of 16 and one goal in the second leg of the round of 16 against Barcelona.
Holland also completely proved his worth by scoring goals in both matches in the round of 16.
Holland flew with Seville (Spain) scoring one goal in the first leg of the round of 16 and two goals in the second leg of the round of 16. Holland also set the record for the youngest 20 goals in UCL’s history with this goal. Dortmund reached the quarterfinals relatively easily with Holland’s big success.