Lionel Messi ends Chelsea hoodoo: his best and misfortune opponents
Lionel Messi can finish a prolonged wait for his initial idea opposite Chelsea in a arriving UEFA Champions League turn of 16 tie. Which teams has he found a hardest – or easiest – opponents to mangle down?
• Messi has scored 101 goals in 10,362 mins of European football; that’s a idea roughly each 102 mins and 35 seconds.
• The Argentinian has faced 37 opposite clubs in Europe (from 16 countries), unwell to measure opposite six: Atlético Madrid, Benfica, Internazionale Milano, Liverpool, Rubin Kazan and Udinese.
• Chelsea had been a toughest European bulb to crack – Messi’s initial idea opposite them came after 730 mins of football travelling 9 games. AC Milan are a side he has played a subsequent many mins opposite (eight matches, 720 minutes), and he has struck 8 times opposite them.
• Petr ÄŒech was prolonged deliberate Messi’s arch-nemesis: a Czech goalkeeper did not concur in 495 mins of UEFA Champions League football opposite Messi over 6 games with Chelsea, yet a brazen strike a woodwork 3 times – including once from a chastisement spot. However, that parable was debunked when ÄŒech faced Messi with Arsenal in a 2015/16 turn of 16, a Barça ace concealment 3 times opposite dual legs.
• The screw who has left a longest but surrender opposite Messi in Europe is Inter’s Júlio César – 270 minutes – yet Rubin Kazan’s Sergei Ryzhikov might feel he has a dignified right to that title. He has been dominant in 237 mins opposite Messi; that run took in 4 matches, as opposite to Júlio César’s three.
• The Blaugrana male has scored some-more goals opposite Arsenal than any other team – 9 in 447 mins comprising 6 games. On normal that’s a idea each 49 mins and 40 seconds.
• His favourite opponents might be Bayer Leverkusen: Messi has notched 7 goals in 270 mins opposite them, during a rate of one each 38 mins and 34 seconds. Five of those strikes famously came in one match, a 7-0 win on 7 Mar 2012.
Who has Messi scored opposite in UEFA competition?
Opponents
by club
Games
Minutes
Goals
Minutes
per goal
AC Milan
8
720
8
90m
APOEL
2
180
3
60m
Ajax
3
247
6
41m10s
Arsenal
6
447
9
49m40s
Atlético
4
360
–
–
Basel
2
120
2
60m
BATE
1
90
2
45m
Bayern
5
450
4
112m30s
Benfica
2
122
–
–
Bremen
2
49
1
49m
Celtic
6
488
8
61m
Chelsea
9
745
1
745m
Dynamo Kyiv
2
180
2
90m
Internazionale
3
270
–
–
Juventus
5
394
2
197m
København   Â
2
180
3
60m
Leverkusen
3
270
7
38m34s
Liverpool
2
180
–
–
Lyon
4
358
3
119m20s
Manchester City
6
540
6
90m
Manchester United    Â
4
332
2
166m
Mönchengladbach
1
90
1
90m
Olympiacos
2
180
1
180m
Panathinaikos
4
293
4
73m25s
Paris
8
614
4
153m30s
Plzeň
2
180
3
60m
Porto
1
90
1
90m
Rangers
2
180
1
180m
Real Madrid      Â
2
180
2
90m
Roma
2
180
2
90m
Rubin Kazan
4
237
–
–
Sevilla
2
210
2
105m
Shakhtar
5
420
3
140m
Spartak Moskva
2
180
4
45m
Sporting CP
4
266
1
266m
Stuttgart
3
270
3
90m
Udinese
1
70
–
–
TOTAL
126
10362
101
102m35s
• Of a large 5 European footballing nations, German opponents seem to fit Messi best: he scores on normal each 70 mins and 34 seconds opposite Bundesliga clubs. Goals are most rarer opposite sides from England (every 124m40s), Italy (136m10s), France (138m51s) and Spain (187m30s).
• Messi might penchant Portuguese rearguards slightest of all; in 478 mins opposite Liga teams, he has scored only twice – a idea each 239 minutes.
Which nations’ clubs has Messi scored against?
Opponents by nationality
Games
Minutes
Goals
Minutes
per goal
Belarus
1
90
2
45m
Cyprus
2
180
3
60m
Czech Republic
2
180
3
60m
Denmark
2
180
3
60m
England
27
2244
18
124m40s
France
12
972
7
138m51s
Germany
14
1129
16
70m34s
Greece
6
473
5
94m36s
Italy
19
1634
12
136m10s
Netherlands
3
247
6
41m10s
Portugal
7
478
2
239m
Russia
6
417
4
104m15s
Scotland
8
668
9
74m20s
Spain
8
750
4
187m30s
Switzerland
2
120
2
60m
Ukraine
7
600
5
120m
TOTAL
126
10362
101
102m35s
Article source: https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2530027.html?rss=2530027+Lionel+Messi+ends+Chelsea+hoodoo:+his+best+and+worst+opponents