Ahead of the pair's latest meeting in Tuesday's crunch Champions League match, Goal analyzes why they have never quite hit it off as an attacking partnership.

The friendship between Barcelona and Manchester City's Argentine superstars, Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero, is legendary. The pair have been inseparable for over a decade, a relationship that dates back to their time as roommates in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship that ended in victory for the Albiceleste.
But that special bond has not always necessarily translated into success on the football pitch. Although the pair have achieved brilliant things for their respective clubs, their record together with Argentina is less than overwhelming.

In the 10 years they have played together for the national team, the pair have assisted each other's goals on a paltry 10 occasions. Messi has fed the City striker five times, with Aguero equally returning the favor with five assists for Argentina's all-time top scorer.

While the pair have featured together in national team games 63 times, it is much rarer to see them both from kickoff. On just 38 occasions have Messi and Aguero started a match together, the last time coming seven months ago in the 2-1 World Cup qualifying victory over Chile.

Messi has scored 37 times in the 63 matches they have played together, with Aguero adding a further 23. But only 13 games saw the duo both net, with the last coming in a 5-0 rout of Panama in this year's Copa America.

Aguero nevertheless suffered in the absence of his captain in Argentina's last qualifiers, and will be hoping to count on his presence when the competition resumes in November. But he will also be hoping that his great friend, who smashed a hat trick against City at Camp Nou while Aguero clicked his heels on the bench, does not enjoy his visit to Manchester on Tuesday.