'Messi is easy to understand': Jose Mourinho advises Liverpool on how to stop Barcelona star
What's the story?
Former Manchester United and Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has given Liverpool some advice on how to stop Barcelona captain Lionel Messi when they face him in the semi-final stage of the Champions League.
In case you didn't know...
After registering a thumping victory over Porto in the quarter-finals of the Champions League this week, Liverpool progress to the semi-finals where they will face Barcelona, who also established a spectacular win over Manchester United to move to the next stages of the competition.
Facing Messi or Barcelona in a competitive game is unchartered territory for Jurgen Klopp, who has only clashed with the Spanish giants in a pre-season friendly at Wembley in 2016.
Mourinho, on the other hand, has had his fair share of battles against Barcelona during his three-year-stint with Los Blancos from 2010 to 2013.
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The heart of the matter
Mourinho has now attempted to advise Liverpool on how to deal with the dangers posed by the five-time Ballon d;Or winner, telling Russia Today (via Metro UK), "Messi is having a phenomenal season and now with Juventus and Cristiano Ronaldo outside this fight, he knows also that the golden ball is there waiting for him."
"Messi is easy to understand, but it’s not easy to create a cage to control him, because he comes from the right, but then stays in the middle. It’s very difficult."
"When Messi has the ball, one, one, one, you are dead. That’s why I never liked the individual man-to-man against Messi. Messi is a cage. You have to create a cage."
What's next?
Messi is in phenomenal shape this season and has netted 45 goals in all competitions for Barcelona so far. He also boasts of being the top scorer in the Champions League this term.
Barcelona are next scheduled to face Real Sociedad this weekend while Liverpool will lock horns with Cardiff City on Sunday.