Messi turns into an enemy to his friend Suarez ... you know the date of the confrontation, UAE time
The two best friends in life .. Argentine Lionel Messi and Uruguayan Luis Suarez face on Saturday (18:15 UAE time), in the 35th stage competitions, within the framework of a "enmity" that will be the first between them since the second departure from Catalonia, while the winner is from this summit Between third Barcelona and leaders Atletico Madrid will take a step towards winning the Spanish Football League title.
It is an epic scene of a decisive meeting: after terrifying defenses together in all European football stadiums as Barcelona spearheads over six years (2014-2020), Messi and Suarez will compete for the first time against each other with a club shirt in a match that can decide the future identity of the "LaLiga" winner .
On Sunday, Real Madrid will receive the second with 74 points and equal with Barcelona, Seville fourth (70) in its quest to get closer in the last Sprint race, four days after his empty-handed exit from the Champions League semi-finals against Manchester City, with a total of the two matches 1- 3.
Messi and Suarez dig their names in the book of records during the six years together in Catalonia, on 4 occasions, specifically between 2015 and 2019, this duo crossed the barrier of 74 goals in various competitions, and recorded their name as the most prolific goal duo in history with 100 goals in the 2015 season - 2016, they shared it as follows: 59 for Suarez and 41 for Messi.
Even after their separation at the start of the current season, after Suarez moved to the capital, Madrid, they are competing remotely in the "Pichichi" ranking, an award equivalent to the best scorer in the Spanish League.
“Wonderful season” - Suárez made a great start with his new club Atletico, scoring 16 goals in his first 20 LaLiga matches, including a breathtaking double in his first match for Rojiblancos during the broad victory over Granada 6-1 on September 27, 2020.
"He is having a great season. He came with a rich history, and he emphasized more than what was expected of him," said Argentine coach Diego Simeone at a press conference held Friday on the eve of the upcoming summit, referring to his 19 goals in 28 matches in the "LaLiga".
Unlike Suárez, Messi, who still has not renewed his contract with Barcelona that expired after two and a half months, on 30 June, needed more time, specifically until mid-February, to return to his goal-scoring success to re-dominate the top scorers with 28 goals in 32 matches.
At that time, the issue of the departure of the "little flea" from the team and his unwillingness to remain on his level caused his performance to deteriorate, as he found himself alone without Suares.
The spotlight will be on Saturday on this ironic confrontation between the two best friends and legendary goalscorers: A goal from Messi or Suárez will allow Barcelona or Atletico to touch the Spanish champion's cup with his fingers.
After Suárez missed the first leg of his team’s home match due to his infection with the Corona virus (Atlético won 1-0), he will be present in the return leg to face his former team Barcelona for the first time in his stronghold at Camp Nou .. which is closed again to the masses due to the repercussions of the “Covid-” pandemic. 19 ".
Despite the immediate rivalry and the importance of this match, there is no doubt about longing and sympathy among South Americans, friends of yesterday - today's enemies at a summit that reunited them again, as the Uruguayan was present during the Barcelona captain's wedding in 2017, while the latter greeted his friend at his wedding In 2019.
They also used to spend their summer holidays together, and Antonello Roccuzzo, Messi's wife, is the close friend of Sophia Balbi, the wife of Surais, while the Argentine duo expressed sadness at the departure of the Uruguayan and his wife from Barcelona by posting messages of sympathy on social networking sites.
Nevertheless, the two players must put aside their friendship and feelings within the 90 minutes as they strive to bring the penultimate touch to an expected season for the two teams: on the side of coach Simeone, because he was not expected to compete for the title so quickly after last season's transition, and on the side of Dutch coach Ronald Koeman. Because anyone is betting on him to be in this advanced position after the disaster of 2020 that the club went through.
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