Champions League · 2005
Ronaldinho's hat-trick, and the 18-year-old beside him
Barcelona's 150th Champions League match belonged to Ronaldinho: a free-kick, a finish and a penalty. The move that made his second goal started with Lionel Messi.
It was Barcelona's 150th match in the Champions League, and Ronaldinho made it feel like a celebration of him.
The first goal came after 13 minutes. Barcelona had a free-kick about 20 metres out, and Ronaldinho curled it past Morgan De Sanctis in the Udinese goal. Eleven minutes later Udinese were level: Valerio Bertotto swung in a corner, the Barcelona defence did not deal with it, and Felipe scored from close range at the far post.
The second goal
The move that put Barcelona back in front is the one worth slowing down for. It began with Lionel Messi, who was 18, making his first start of the season, and had become a Spanish citizen the day before. Messi took the ball off Felipe. Samuel Eto'o cut it back into the area, and Ronaldinho side-footed it into the far corner.
It is tempting to read that goal as a handover, with the older star finishing what the younger one started. That is not what it was. Ronaldinho was the established star and Messi was a teenager being given a start. What the goal shows is how the three of them combined: Messi winning it, Eto'o delivering it, Ronaldinho finishing it.
Deco made it 3–1 before half-time, lifting a free-kick over the wall and past De Sanctis.
Messi's night
UEFA's report of the match mentioned Messi's "two powerful runs and a number of neat touches". Early in the second half Luis Vidigal, already booked, fouled him and was sent off. Udinese played the rest of the game with ten men.
Ronaldinho completed his hat-trick in injury time. Felipe fouled him in the area, and he put the penalty past De Sanctis.
Afterwards he talked about the team. "It's a good result for the team," he said, "and we have to keep working."
Looking back
Knowing what Messi became, it is easy to see this as the night the future arrived. It would be wrong to say that was obvious on 27 September 2005. The hat-trick was Ronaldinho's, and so was the night. What was clear was that he had an 18-year-old alongside him who could win the ball, run with it, and make experienced defenders foul him.