Ronaldo before the 35th chance against Barca
Ronaldo has met Barca 34 games before, in the colors of Man Utd, Real Madrid and Juventus. The head-to-head advantage is in favor of the Catalan club, with 15 wins, 9 draws and 10 losses.
In the 34 matches mentioned above, Ronaldo was compared with Lionel Messi. But if the Portuguese striker reunites with Barca in the Europa League, this time he will not be able to duel with Messi, because the Argentine superstar has moved to PSG from the summer of 2021.
Ronaldo scored 20 goals, one less than Messi's record in these 34 games. CR7's biggest victory over Barca was also the last match, when he scored two penalties to help Juventus win 3-0 at Camp Nou in the Champions League on December 8, 2020. And Ronaldo's heaviest defeat was a 0-5 defeat with Real against Barca in La Liga on November 29, 2010.
Particularly in the European Cup, Ronaldo has met Barca 6 matches, all in the Champions League. He scored twice in these matches, both in the aforementioned Juventus victory. Messi also scored three goals, including one in the 2009 final against Man Utd and a double against Real Madrid in the first leg of the semi-final in 2011.
Ronaldo has met Barca in the most matches in La Liga, with 18 encounters when he played for Real. Barca also excels with 10 wins, 4 draws and 4 defeats against this striker.
The first time Ronaldo played Messi was the two semi-finals of the Champions League in 2008, when Paul Scholes scored the only goal to help Man Utd win the final 1-0. It was not until the seventh match against Barca that CR7 scored, in La Liga on April 16, 2011. At that time, Messi and Ronaldo respectively scored from the penalty in Barca's 1-1 draw with Real.
Ronaldo is unlikely to play Barca in the Europa League, when he is likely to leave Man Utd in January 2023. The 37-year-old superstar's contract will expire in June 2023, and he has the right to negotiate with a new team from the beginning of next year. Even if he stays, Ronaldo is unlikely to be able to play if Man Utd adds a quality striker in the next transfer window.
Barca will play the first leg against Man Utd at Camp Nou on February 16, 2023, the second leg will take place at Old Trafford a week later. The winner of this match will advance to the round of 16 of the Europa League, encountering an opponent who has won this tournament.
