Two of the world’s top midfielders in the FTBL ranking, Barcelona’s superstar Lionel Messi (pictured right) and teammate Xavi (left) saw their respective ratings take a beating as the Catalans fell to a spirited Rubin Kazan (Russia) in a Champions League’s group stage game last night.
Barcelona, despite a sustained effort, failed to crack an incredibly determined Russian team, eventually falling 1:2. Messi, as a consequence, dropped a whopping 22.33 rating points in the FTBL system, while Xavi, who played captain for the occasion in the absence of Carles Puyol, lost 14.5 rating points.
Despite retaining their 1st and 2nd places in the world ranking, Messi (161.56 points) and Xavi (154.97 points) have now allowed their nearest rivals to move closer. The Catalan boys will now have to watch their backs, with Chelsea’s Frank Lampard (148.83 points) and Arsenal’s Cesc Fàbregas (148.22 points) now lurking not far behind.
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