“At one point I had to kick Leo” - Di Maria shares Real Madrid strategy to stop Lionel Messi in heated clash against Barcelona
Former Real Madrid ace Angel Di Maria recently recalled Los Blancos' strategy to stop Lionel Messi during clashes with Barcelona in the Pep Guardiola era. Di Maria and Messi have faced each other in 16 games between 2010 and 2014, representing Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively.
Lionel Messi is believed to have reached his peak under Pep Guardiola at Barca between 2008 and 2012. The Catalan tactician's decision to play Messi as a false nine is often considered one of the best tactical decisions in football.
Messi and Guardiola together won 14 accolades together, including two Champions League titles and three LaLiga titles. Under Guardiola's guidance, the Argentine legend recorded 211 goals and 94 assists in 219 outings across competitions for La Blaugrana.
In an interview on the Clank podcast, Angel Di Maria recalled his time at Real Madrid while facing Messi at Barcelona. He said (via Barca Universal):
"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."
Di Maria specifically recalled the 2011 Copa del Rey final at the Mestalla where Real Madrid won 1-0 against Barcelona. He added:
“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."
Despite their past rivalry, Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria have been longtime friends on and off the pitch. The duo have played 112 games together for Argentina, recording 13 joint-goal contributions. They have also played together for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) between 2021 and 2022, making 24 appearances and one joint goal contribution together.
Angel Di Maria chooses between ex-Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona legend Lionel Messi
In his aforementioned interview on the Clank podcast, Angel Di Maria made his choice in the heated debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He said (via GOAL):
“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.”
Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo have shared the pitch 166 times for Real Madrid, recording 28 joint goal participations. The duo together won the 2013-14 UEFA Champions League title with Los Blancos, marking their 10th title in history, often called La Decima.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi and Di Maria together led Argentina to 2022 FIFA World Cup glory in Qatar. They have also won two Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024 with La Albiceleste.