Lio-Nil Messi: Meet the ONLY goalkeeper to keep four clean sheets against Lionel Messi

One goalkeeper has kept four clean sheets against the Barcelona superstar.

Barcelona's clash with Juventus was Lionel Messi’s fourth encounter against Gianluigi Buffon — and the Argentine had never scored past the Italian prior.

But he soon put that right with two sublime finishes in a 3-0 victory.

Petr Cech was another who appeared immune to Messi‘s strikes, but he too was beaten — three times — as Arsenal lost 5-1 aggregate to Barcelona in 2016.

 

However, there is still one goalkeeper to have faced the five-time Ballon d’Or-winner four times and kept him out each time.

While two have managed have managed to stop him three times.

And two more have restricted him to blanks in two Champions League clashes.

Here, we take a look at those who have achieved the unthinkable.

And there are some familiar names.

Pepe Reina — 2

 

Liverpool knocked Barcelona out on away goals when they beat then holders 2-1 at the Nou Camp in the 2007 last-16 — before losing 1-0 at home.

Reina was beaten by Deco and Eidur Gudjohnsen, but Messi failed to find the back of the net despite playing all 180 minutes.

Julio Cesar — 2

 

Jose Mourinho‘s Inter Milan produced a masterclass in defence to beat Barcelona — again holders — 3-2 on aggregate in the 2010 semi-finals.

Pedro and Gerard Pique were on the scoresheet for the Catalans, as Messi couldn’t find a way past the extremely well-organised display.

Renan Brito Soares — 3

 

He conceded four in a 4-0 defeat to the Catalans with Valencia in 2008, but Thierry Henry scored a hat-trick, with Dani Alves also netting — the following season he moved on loan to Xerez.

Yet, despite Barcelona winning 2-0 and 3-1, Messi failed to find a way past Renan.

Sebastian Viera — 3

 

Lost 2-0 with Villarreal in 2006, but the goals were scored by Ronaldinho and Deco — before the Yellow Submarine stunned the Catalans with a 2-0 win a year later.

And he was part of another winning side when Bojan scored Barcelona’s only goal in a 3-1 loss.

Sergey Viktorovich Ryzhikov — 4

 

The only man to keep the Argentine out on four is man who shares a name as a Russian astronaut who spent 173 days in space.

But has Sergey Nikolayevich Ryzhikov kept five-time Ballon d’Or-winner Mess out four times?

This Ryzikov was the No 1 in a Rubin Kazan side which sensationally won 2-1 at the Nou Camp before drawing 0-0 against the holders in the 2009 group stage.

And, having been drawn against them at the same stage a year later and drew 1-1 before losing 2-0 — but stopping Messi from finding the back of the net.

One goalkeeper has kept four clean sheets against the Barcelona superstar. Read Full Story