Real Madrid progressed to the Champions League semi-finals thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo, who appeared with five goals against Bayern Munich when it mattered most, at the same time as Lionel Messi was frustrated by the Juventus defence.
Not only did the No. 7 net his 100th Champions League goal during the tie, but he has now equalled Alfredo di Stefano with 32 goals between the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of Europe’s premier club competition.
Messi, on the other hand, could not find a way past Gianluigi Buffon and has now failed to score in his past nine quarter-final outings, while his tally for the final three rounds of the tournament remains at 16, half of Ronaldo’s.
That gap could increase further given that the 32-year-old will take part in two, and perhaps three, more matches with the star-covered ball this season, whereas Messi will have to wait until the 2017/18 campaign for his next continental display.
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