FC Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has beaten Cristiano Ronaldo to another UEFA Champions League record, despite his team losing 3-1 to his former mentor Pep Guardiola's Manchester City on Tuesday night.
Read: Reports: Messi Clashed With City Star In Tunnel
The Argentine netted the first goal of the match in the first half, but could not prevent his side from losing the encounter 3-1.
It was Messi's 90th goal in the Champions League overall, and his 54th in the group stages, beating the previous record held by Raul Gonzalez, who netted 53 strikes for Real Madrid and Schalke in the tournament's group stage, as stats expert Mister Chip pointed out.
ALL TIME RECORD - Messi (54) gets over Raul (53) as player with more goals scored in Champions League groups stage.
— MisterChip (English) (@MisterChiping) November 1, 2016
His longstanding rival Ronaldo, who has netted just two goals in three Champions League games this season – compared to Messi's seven – has scored 51 of his 95 UCL goals in the early stage of the competition.
However, the Portuguese has a chance to close the gap on his rival when Los Blancos take on Legia Warsaw on Wednesday night.
Read: CR7 Messi Among 10 Most Valuable Athlete Brands
Ronaldo has netted 98 times in European competitions throughout his career, and could become the first player ever to reach the 100-goal mark.
Do you think Ronaldo can score a hat-trick and catch up with Messi on Wednesday night? Have your say in the comments section below.