Defending against Barca superstar Lionel Messi is no easy task, and former Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti agrees, claiming that it is impossible to stop the Argentine when he is physically at his best.
Speaking to Sina Sports, the Italian boss – currently on sabbatical – insists that there is no way of keeping the five-time Ballon d’Or winner quiet, regardless of the manager and defenders, when is at top form.
Carlo, who has crossed paths with La Pulga several times before during his time at PSG and Los Blancos, will return to work when the current 2015/16 season ends to replace the Man City-bound Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich.
The 56-year-old, however, did reveal the tactic he believes is best at halting the Argentine legend hot on his tracks: defending as a team and allowing the 28-year-old little space to create havoc.
Ancelotti said: “The best way to stop him is by defending as a team, keeping the space between the lines tight and now allowing him to touch the ball. You need a lot of players in midfield to make that happen. That reduces Messi’s options and he will see less of the ball, at least in dangerous positions.
“We know that he likes to cut in from the wing and get the ball onto his left foot. But the problem is that Barcelona have more weapons than just Messi. If you focus on Messi, their other attackers can do the damage.
“But if Messi is at 100 per cent physically, it is impossible to try to stop him, no matter who the coach is and what his strategy is. His enormous talent makes it nearly impossible to anticipate what he will do, so there is no way to keep him quiet.”
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