Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo squared off in one of the least prestigious match-ups of their illustrious careers, but fittingly delivered plenty of entertainment in a 5-4 Paris Saint-Germain win over the “Riyadh All-Stars” on Thursday in Saudi Arabia.
PSG and the hosts were level at one off a Messi goal and a Ronaldo penalty when PSG’s Juan Bernat was sent off in the 36th minute. That’s when it all broke loose.
Ronaldo finished with two goals for the Riyadh side, a combination of players from Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal, joining Hyun-soo Jang and Anderson Talisca on the score sheet as the hosts had three equalizers and then trailed 5-3 before Talisca’s goal.
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Messi scored off a Neymar assist in the third minute, with Marquinhos, Sergio Ramos, Kylian Mbappe, and Hugo Ekitike also scoring for the victors.
Mbappe also collected two assists in the win, which comes off a rare PSG league loss that leaves them just three points clear of Lens and five ahead of Marseille on the Ligue 1 tables.
To see a goal from Messi and Ronaldo, dip below the break.
Lionel Messi goal video: Neymar assist
EVERYTIME. EVERYWHERE. MESSI. ⚽️🤖 pic.twitter.com/U7a1uCJTtS
— 433 (@433) January 19, 2023
Cristiano Ronaldo goal video: Portuguese deposits rebound after miscue
BORN TO SCORE GOALS 🎯🔥 @cristiano pic.twitter.com/moD0IORa0p
— 433 (@433) January 19, 2023