A lot of discussion, prediction and build-up about the Joan Gamper Trophy was around Lionel Messi facing off against his longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo. But all of that have seemed to be blown off in thin air when it was announced a few days ago that Messi is leaving Barcelona following a failure to agree on a new contract. Now, the focus shifts to one man-Cristiano Ronaldo. As Juventus gear up to compete against Barcelona in the Joan Gamper Trophy on Monday at 1:00 am IST, there would be a lingering question on the minds of some football fans--will Cristiano play against Barcelona? Well, according to how things look as of now, Ronaldo is very much in the mix to feature for the Bianconeri. Barcelona vs Juventus, Joan Gamper Trophy 2021 Free Live Streaming Online & Match Time in India: Get Live Telecast Details of Football Match

Cristiano Ronaldo during a training session (Photo credit: Twitter)

He would be a key figure in Massimiliano Allegri's 4-3-3 formation and would potentially link up with Federico Chiesa and Alvaro Morata upfront. The Portuguese star has been in good form in the summer, as he showed by winning the golden boot in  Euro 2020. He has trained hard in recent weeks after returning to the club. Although he couldn't inspire his team to successfully defend their title, he was one of the best players in the competition.

Ronaldo would take centre stage in the match against Barcelona and would aim to score a few goals to build his confidence and help his side begin their season on a high. Against a Barcelona side without Messi, many would tip Ronaldo to dominate and win his side the match. While the chances of that happening is very high, one really can't certainly tell anything until the full-time whistle is blown and one team among the two walks out with the trophy.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 08, 2021 09:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).