Lionel Andres Messi

That was a battle of the two previous Champions of Europe though. Heavyweight clash.

Yeah I’d say 2008-2009 when they were well off the pace in the league and hammered by Liverpool was Real’s weakest spell. Think Juande Ramos took over after being sacked at Spurs?

I am thinking when both teams were concurrently no great shakes .

Real didn’t make a champions league quarter final for a number of years there before 2011.

In Ronaldos first season Lyon took them out in the last 16.

Yeah knocked out at the round of 16 every year from 2004-2010. Think they picked up 98/99 points in 2010 under Pellegrini but Barca were just class.

They won La Liga in Beckhams last season, 2007, under Cappello.

Guti and Gago were an iconic back around then.

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I remember arsenal knocking them out as well.

For me Ronaldinho at his absolute peak was better than Messi or Ronaldo. It was too short a peak though, the other two have achieved too much for him over a longer period for him to be in the same frame. If fat Ronaldo had stayed fit he would have be the GOAT. Peak Ronaldo was unreal

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The Johnathon Woodgate/Thomas Graveson era.

Wenger very nearly pulled off some champions league win that season.

They beat a Juventus side backboned by the Italy team that won the World Cup in 2006.

Peak R9 is the :goat:

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He definitely wasn’t. More exciting maybe, more impactful, no

He was one of the best , even without knees.

He had more of a gift for the unexpected anyway

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Fuck, remember watching that on the telly as a kid and going ape shit with the lob. Then going out and spamming it playing football with pals, trying lob lads in gates from 10 yards.

What a fucking player he was.

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Sensational

That is literally the greatest thing ever

An absolutely brilliant footballer

He could try tackling or tracking back

You’ve obviously never seen him play.