21 February 2023 , 19:57
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Sergio Ramos has doubled down on his admiration for Lionel Messi to underline just how far they have come from their days as bitter El Clasico rivals.
For 16 seasons, Ramos and Messi lined up against each other for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, clashing on many occasions. In a series of events few fans could have seen coming, the duo ended up as teammates as they moved to Paris Saint-Germain on free transfers in the summer of 2021.
Both superstars of the game endured underwhelming debut seasons, given their phenomenal track records, but are impressing for the French giants this time round. Ramos, 36, has put his injury woes behind him to start 28 games in all competitions while Messi, 35, has scored a dazzling 15 times and registered 14 assists.
The Argentine's latest goal came on Sunday as he scored a sublime free kick to earn PSG a dramatic, 95th-minute victory over Lille in Ligue 1. Ramos knows all about Messi's game-changing ability - the seven-time Ballon d'Or is the all-time leading scorer in El Clasico - and opened up on how pleased he is to share the same dressing room as his former rival.
"I am no longer surprised by Messi," Ramos told Amazon Prime Video after the last-gasp victory over Lille. "At Barca, he was used to deciding games like he did here. I'm glad he's on my team now. Of course, it's better to have him as a teammate. Whoever you give the choice to, of having Messi with or against you, the response is quick and honest."
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Lionel Messi prompted raucous celebrations with his stunning free kick against Lille (Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)Ramos' comments came a matter of weeks after he hailed Messi as the greatest footballer of all time, ahead of former Los Blancos teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. The Spaniard told PSG TV, per GOAL: "There was suffering for several years playing against Messi. I am now enjoying him. He is the best player football has ever produced."
Despite maintaining their five-point lead at the Ligue 1 summit against Lille, PSG manager Christophe Galtier was unhappy with his players' lack of focus throughout a topsy-turvy fixture. PSG squandered a two-goal lead and trailed with minutes remaining at the Parc des Princes before Kylian Mbappe brought them level and Messi whipped in a free kick.
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Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos are showing shades of their best form this season (Corbis via Getty Images)"Obviously, there is a relief, but we have to be much more focused for the duration of the match," Galtier told PSGTV. "We can't have such a great start against a great Lille team, have such a great start by leading 2-0 and then lose focus so much."
Up next for Messi, Ramos and Co. are top-flight fixtures against arch-rivals Marseille and Nantes before they travel to Allianz Arena for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich. PSG trail 1-0 on aggregate after Kingsley Coman scored the only goal of the first leg.