Barcelona played their last match of the preseason against Juventus in the Joan Gamper Trophy at Johan Cruyff Stadium. However, the day was marked with Lionel Messi’s farewell to the club earlier. And in the middle of the drama, one familiar face was back in Barcelona: Cristiano Ronaldo.
There’s no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo has become something like a public enemy to Barcelona’s fans. The Portuguese has played 34 times against the Catalans with 10 wins, 9 draws and 15 losses. He also has scored 20 goals against Barça and, of course, was the protagonist of a great rivalry with Lionel Messi.
That’s why it was kind of ironic that Cristiano was playing against Barcelona the same day that Messi was saying goodbye. Since the announcement that Juventus was the rival for the Joan Gamper Trophy, many fans expected a reunion with the Argentinian star. However, that didn’t happen in the end.
Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Barcelona
Ronaldo played from the start at the Johan Cruyff Stadium. However, he couldn’t score as his team was surpassed by Barcelona. The hosts won 3-0 with goals by Memphis Depay, in the first half, Martin Braithwaite and Riqui Puig, in the second half.
On the other hand, everytime Cristiano touched the ball, the 3,000 fans at the Johan Cruyff Stadium chanted “Messi, Messi” to upset him. The name of Messi also was heard at the 10th minute of the match, and it’s expected to be a new tradition in the Camp Nou.