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Buffon and Casillas: honour and respect

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Buffon and Casillas: honour and respect
Buffon and Casillas: honour and respect
Buffon and Casillas: honour and respect

Nothing brings a smile to the face of supporters quite as effectively as a demonstration of respect and admiration from one of their favourite stars to another.

Simultaneously, no other competition in club football is capable of consistently igniting the same passion and thrill factor as the Champions League.

The excitement then when Gianluigi Buffon and Iker Casillas exchanged messages of support on Twitter in the aftermath of the tournament’s last 16 draw in December which pitted Juventus and Porto against each other, was entirely justified.

Responding to an open question posed by the UCL’s official page as to which goalkeeper was the best, Casillas’ self-effacing choice was Buffon who quickly replied that in a contest between two of the game’s greatest goalkeepers, there is no need - nor way - to select a winner.

Rather, all you can do is acknowledge that as a pair, they are unrivalled.

Of all the sub-plots weaved into the Champions League’s eight first knockout round ties, the reunion of Buffon and Casillas is one of the most intriguing of the lot, one whose numbers – as with any analysis of Juve’s number one – speak for themselves.

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Three years the Spaniard’s elder, the Bianconeri skipper will be making his 145th continental appearance on Wednesday night at Porto’s Estadio do Dragao, the 827th overall in a career now spanning over 20 years, a feat recognised in typically gracious fashion by the Porto stopper back in November 2015.

By his own admission in a recent interview with UEFA, the 14-year old Casillas looked up to the 18-year old Buffon who at that time was already making his first European appearance with Parma in the UEFA Cup, commenting “I was able to see (Buffon’s) style and personality. As I grew up, I looked up to him and then we evolved together and had similar careers. I think Italian football won’t have another goalkeeper like him.”

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Since then the two players have gone on to win 42 major trophies between them, including a World Cup each as leaders of their nations, Buffon’s Italy in Germany in 2006, Casillas’ Spain in South Africa in 2010.

Given their respective histories, it should come as no surprise that every meeting between the pair is of the utmost importance.

This week’s clash in northern Portugal – in keeping with previous encounters for its significance - will mark the ninth time that the two legendary keepers have taken to the field together in the Champions League, including two semi-finals and two quarter-finals, ties won on both occasions by the Bianconeri.

Whatever happens in Porto on Wednesday night, one thing is certain: two legends of their trade will compete, embrace as old friends at full time and write the latest chapter in a story already distinguished by mutual respect, endless success and admiration.

May the best man win...

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