Ronaldo in tears after red card: how Messi fans mocked CR7 on Twitter

They may no longer be on opposite teams in Spain’s La Liga but the rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is alive and well in the Champions League - especially among the fans.

For nine seasons, superstar strikers Ronaldo and Messi often went head to head in the Spanish scoring charts, playing for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. However, this summer Ronaldo left Real and moved to Italian side Juventus.

With that new set-up in place, the start of the new Champions League season this week has seen mixed emotions from fans of both players.

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On Tuesday, Barca star Messi broke the Champions League hat-trick record with three goals against PSV Eindhoven. It was his eighth Champions League treble, moving him one clear of Ronaldo.

A day later, European football fans were eager to see Ronaldo play his first Champions League match for Juventus. His appearance did not last long, though. The 33-year-old was sent off - in tears - after 29 minutes against Valencia, a match that Juve went on to win 2-0.

His sending off, for apparently pulling Valencia defender Jeison Murillo’s hair, did not get much sympathy from Messi fans. They mocked Ronaldo on Twitter, while also celebrating Messi’s hat-trick record.

Twitter reactions to Ronaldo’s red

How Messi and Barca fans reacted...