What it's like to play against Lionel Messi: "We practiced fourteen against eleven"

 Lionel Messi celebrates his 39th birthday this Wednesday. On this occasion, we would like to remind you of an article from 2021 in which Dutch players share their experiences of playing against this outstanding player. Jeffrey Sarpong, Hedwiges Maduro and Gianni Zuiverloon talk about their experiences on the pitch where they had the opportunity to face Messi. Maduro remembers one day in particular, March 14, 2010, when Valencia played against Barcelona. Although Valencia managed to keep the score at half-time, Messi showed his class in the second half. After a phenomenal move between three defenders, he scored a goal, and finally with a hat-trick, Barcelona won 3-0. In the Valencia locker room after the match, there was an atmosphere of admiration for the Argentine's class. While defeats usually hurt, this one was special because of the recognition of Messi's talent. Maduro also recalled how coach Unai Emery prepared the team for the clash with Messi, often practicing without a left back, anticipating that Messi would miss him anyway. The motto was: Messi will pass a defender nine times out of ten, so what the team did next was crucial.