Angel di Maria recalls Real Madrid’s strategy to keep Lionel Messi at bay in high-octane clash against Barcelona

Former Real Madrid striker Angel di Maria recalled how Real Madrid planned to stop Lionel Messi when the talisman was going all guns blazing for Barcelona. Messi used to penetrate the opposition defense with his immaculate skills and it was almost impossible to keep him at bay.

Messi shined under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola and he scored a whopping 212 goals and provided 94 assists for Barcelona while playing under the Spaniard.

Angel di Maria recalled they had to play aggressively against Lionel Messi to throw a spanner in the works for Barcelona.

In an interview with Clank Podcast, Angel di Maria said, “The only way to beat that Barcelona was by hitting, scoring and running more than them. And that somehow led to them fighting each other on the pitch. At times I was afraid that they would injure Messi, I was more worried that nothing would happen to him than anything else.”

The Argentine recalled the 2011 Copa del Rey final against the arch-rivals at the Mestalla when Los Blancos registered a 1-0 win.

“The game at Mestalla was very tough, that final was kick and kick. At one point I had to kick Leo, who was going against us. I lifted him up and said to him ‘Sorry kid, but if I didn’t get you down you could have scored on us’. I had no other option. It was that way of playing, it was impossible to stop.”

On the other hand, Di Maria also played with Cristiano Ronaldo but picked his compatriot Lionel Messi as a better player between the two legends.

“I’ve always said the same thing – they are the two best in history. But it’s obvious that the best, by far, is Leo. It’s not just because of the eight Ballon d’Or awards he’s won, but because of everything else. Cristiano is about work, work and work. But Messi, he’s pure talent, a gift from God. He doesn’t need to do anything extra to be the best.”

Messi and Di Maria were both part of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup winning squad.