Messi vs Lewandowski: How the two forwards compare ahead of mega Champions League clash

All eyes will be on the Barcelona vs Bayern encounter this weekend in the penultimate tie of the Champions League quarterfinals. With two of Europe's top goalscorers on both sides, the Barcelona vs Bayern encounter promises to be an entertaining encounter, albeit with Bayern in supremely better form than the LaLiga runners-up. As two of the most decorated clubs in Europe get set to lock horns, here's a look at how two of their top scorers - Messi and Lewandowski - fare against each other in doing what they do best - goalscoring. 

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Messi vs Lewandowski: Numbers this season 

Lewandowski is enjoying one of his best seasons, individually as well as collectively. The Pole has netted 53 times across all competitions this season and was one of the hot favourites to clinch his first-ever Ballon d'Or until France Football decided to cancel the event owing to the COVID-19 crisis. The Bayern hitman stands undisputed as the Bavarians' best player in converting chances and will look to continue his lethal form during the Barcelona vs Bayern clash. 

On the other hand, Messi has netted 31 goals in 43 games across all competitions, a number that has witnessed a relative decline over his previous seasons' stats. Having surrendered the LaLiga title to Real Madrid, Messi ensured that his individual form stands firm. He managed to clinch the Pichichi, courtesy of having scored the most goals in the league, ahead of Real Madrid's No. 9, Karim Benzema. 

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Messi vs Lewandowski Champions League record 

In the Champions League this season, Messi is yet to hit double figures. In fact, he has netted just thrice, with four assists as well. On the other hand, Lewandowski is enjoying one of his best campaigns in the competition, having netted 13 goals in the Champions League this season, along with the same number of assists as Messi. 

Although Lewandowski has been enjoying a better season than Messi, one cannot downplay the Argentine forward's impact in the Champions League. With 142 appearances in the Europe's premier competition, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner has netted 115 goals, the second-most behind Cristiano Ronaldo, with a stellar goals-per-game average of 0.81. On the other hand, Lewandowski has managed 87 appearances in the Champions League, with 66 goals to his credit. He enjoys a decent goals-per-game average of 0.76, a bit lower than Messi. 

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Revisiting Barcelona vs Bayern 2015 tie 

Back in 2015, in another classic Barcelona vs Bayern encounter, Messi struck twice in Barcelona's first leg 3-0 victory, with Lewandowski scoring once in his side's 3-2 victory against Barcelona in the return leg. Barcelona advanced to the semi-finals and subsequently clinched the silverware with a 3-1 victory over Juventus. 

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Image courtesy: AP