Over his remarkable career, Lionel Messi has given innumerable captivating displays. With eight Ballon d’Or victories under his belt, the Barcelona legend must have a whole room in his house dedicated to his numerous Man of the Match mantles.
During the 2007–08 season, he put on one of his first memorable performances at Old Trafford in the Champions League. Messi made his debut at the venerable Theatre of Dreams at the age of 20, dominating the pitch and leaving Manchester United defenders in his wake. Messi was unquestionably the game’s star, displaying his extraordinary talent and flair, and was unfortunate to end up on the losing side, even though United narrowly prevailed 1-0 thanks to a spectacular goal from Paul Scholes.
Every anniversary, the footage of the outstanding Argentinean easily outplaying the game’s only goal scorer continues to be a reminder of brilliance. However, Scholes saw this match as just the beginning of many conflicts with Messi, and by the time the Englishman retired, he was positive he had faced the best. Scholes acknowledged that Messi was the one player he made a conscious effort to stay away from.
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What Paul Scholes Has Said About Lionel Messi
He said Messi was impossible to read like other players
Known for his unparalleled ability to read the game and stay one step ahead of his opponents, Scholes is considered one of the best midfielders of the twenty-first century. Messi, however, caused him to doubt even this distinguishing ability. ‘Football’s Greatest Podcast’ featured his words:
“Not playing against Messi was a fortunate move on your part. It wasn’t just him, though. Take a look at the three midfield players: Messi, Xavi, Busquets, and Iniesta. With certain players, you can read them, you know where they’re going, and occasionally you can take it off them when you’re facing a midfield player one-on-one, which is something you hope you avoid.
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“With him, I didn’t have a clue. I had absolutely no idea what he was going to do. Whether he was going to go to the left, whether he was going to go to the right, or through my legs. He could have done anything, and you just had to guess. If you missed the ball, you had to get him. “
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He went on to say, “But that team as a whole was incredible,” He went on to say, “After that first 10 minutes in Rome, they just totally out-played us…” discussing the 2009 Champions League final.
Scholes has been asked to talk about Messi before, so it wasn’t the first time, and it probably won’t be the last. After playing Messi four times in his career, Scholes wrote in a 2015 column for the Independent, “I am not ashamed to admit that in the games against Barcelona I spent a lot of the time just hoping he would take up positions as far away from me as possible.”
The first term that comes to mind when I consider Messi’s style of play is elusive. You believe you are keeping an eye on him, but then he disappears and reappears with the ball at another location in space. You can predict what he will do with the ball when you try to confront him and make a tackle. Having to stay with him is the issue.
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