Lionel Messi hailed as 'GOAT' as Barcelona starts Twitter war with Juventus before UCL tie

Juventus are set to host Spanish giants Barcelona on Wednesday night in the group stage of the Champions League. The match was a highly anticipated affair as arch-rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were set to meet for the first time since the former left Real Madrid in 2018. However, Ronaldo is set to miss the UCL clash as the player currently remains in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 twice.

Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing against Barca? 

Juventus ruled the player out of Wednesday's clash after he tested positive for COVID-19 for the third time. He tested positive for the first time earlier this month during international duty with Portugal. While Ronaldo will not be available, Lionel Messi will be. The Barcelona star is most likely to start for his side as head coach Ronald Koeman looks to bounce back from the 1-3 defeat to Real Madrid this past weekend. 

Also Read | Inter Hits Crossbar Twice In 0-0 Draw At Shakhtar In CL

Barcelona vs Juventus

Barcelona are also apparently not looking for friendly competition as they took a subtle shot at Juventus on social media, just over 24 hours before their UCL clash. The club posted a clip of some of Lionel Messi's best show against the Serie A side to Twitter with the caption hailing the Argentine footballer as the 'G.O.A.T'. This is unsurprisingly a shot at Juventus' main man, Cristiano Ronaldo, who enjoyed a stellar rivalry with Messi over the course of the last decade.

Also Read | Outgoing Barcelona President Discloses Super League Plan

Both players are widely regarded as two of the greatest to ever step on the football pitch. But for the fans, Messi vs Ronaldo generally a heated debate about proving one's supremacy over the others. As it appears, Barcelona are looking to gain a mental advantage by taking a dig at their Champions League rivals. 

Instead of posting something related to Cristiano Ronaldo, the Old Lady responded by sharing a clip of their left-footed wizard, Paulo Dybala scoring a stellar goal against the Catalan outfit. In a follow-up tweet, the club shared a video of Dybala's signature celebration. 

This prompted another response from Barcelona, who instead, shared a GIF of Neymar’s goal against Juventus in the 2015 Champions League final. Barcelona won a treble that season after beating the Serie A side 3-1 in Berlin. The Catalan side are yet to lift the Champions League trophy since 2015. Meanwhile, Juventus are in the running to win the UCL for the first time since winning it in 1996.

Also Read | Kimmich Saves Bayern's Champions League Run In Moscow

Both Juventus and Barcelona have new leaders as former players, Andrea Pirlo and Ronald Koeman, were appointed as head coaches of the respective clubs. Juve's Serie A form has so far been below par as they sit fifth with just wins in five games (three draws). Barcelona too are looking to get going under their new boss.

Their recent El Clasico loss was their second of the league campaign. Barca are currently 12th in LaLiga with two each of wins and losses in five matches. Both clubs started their UCL campaign with wins in their opening fixtures. 

Also Read | UCL Fixtures: Liverpool Scores 10,000th Goal In 2-0 Win Over Midtjylland

(Image Credits: Barcelona Twitter)