Highlights

  • Xabi Alonso, former Real Madrid midfielder, reveals the strategy he used to try and stop Lionel Messi from exploiting the false nine position.
  • Alonso, along with José Mourinho and Sergio Ramos, discovered that controlling Messi and nullifying his impact on the game allowed them to compete better with Barcelona.
  • Despite their efforts, Messi still proved to be a true menace, scoring 672 goals and providing 303 assists during his 778-game Barcelona career.