'Messi just walks & walks... then it's a goal!' - Kieran Trippier reveals what it's like to play against 'best ever'
Atletico Madrid full-back Kieran Trippier has
spoken with The Athletic about his Messi experience, ahead of
Atletico Madrid's upcoming clash with Barcelona at Wanda Metropolitano on
Sunday. Trippier faced Messi in last season's Champions League when he played
for Tottenham Hotspur. Barcelona beat Tottenham 4-2 with Messi scoring two
goals. Trippier joined Atletico Madrid during the summer transfer window.
Talking about
the Tottenham vs Barcelona game last season, he said, "Everyone knows how good he is, but I think he
turned up a few extra notches that night.
"He scored two and he must have hit the woodwork
about four times. He was unbelievable."
When asked what it is like to defend against Messi, he
added, "It’s weird in a way. He spends a lot of the game just walking and
walking.
"You play against (Liverpool’s) Sadio Mane, for instance, and if you take your eye off him for a
second, he’ll just dart in behind you.
"But with Messi, you look four times and he’s
still there. It’s weird. A lot of the time he just walks and walks — and then,
before you know it, it’s a goal.
"I’ve played against him a few times now and he’s
so good at just picking up those little pockets of space. Before Barcelona have
made three passes, he already knows where the ball’s going.
"It’s amazing how clever he is. Even when he’s
walking like that, you’ve always got to be aware. He’s unbelievable, the best
ever.
"But it’s not just Messi. There are the players
around him. You can go through the whole Barcelona team… Arthur is an
unbelievable player."
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