Featured Image Credit: SPORT.ES/Getty
Topics: Marcelo, Champions League, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Lionel Messi, Carles Puyol, Football
Marcus Chan
Topics: Marcelo, Champions League, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Lionel Messi, Carles Puyol, Football
Real Madrid legend Marcelo overlooked Lionel Messi when asked to pick the Barcelona star he 'feared' the most.
Brazilian full-back Marcelo started his career at Fluminense before making the move to Madrid in 2007.
During his time in Spain, the full-back developed into one of the best players in his position.
In total, Marcelo made 546 appearances for Los Blancos, scoring 38 goals. He also lifted multiple trophies, including six La Liga titles and five Champions Leagues.
Marcelo also faced off against Madrid's bitter rivals Barcelona on numerous occasions, playing against the likes of Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets.
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However, speaking recently, the 36-year-old revealed that Messi was not the Barcelona player that he feared the most.
Marcelo instead picked out legendary Spanish centre-back Carles Puyol.
Explaining his choice, he joked, via SPORT: "I remember that I made a play, I dribbled one and Puyol comes.
"I thought I was close to the ball, he wouldn't reach it, and he wouldn't tackle me. But from afar, he reached and dived. If I hadn't lifted my foot... it would have been over."
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Puyol is a Barcelona and Spain icon, having played 682 times for the Catalan club, scoring 25 and assisting a further 14 goals.
The Spaniard was known for his leadership skills and his no-nonsense style of play.
Speaking in a previous interview, Marcelo touched on how he dealt with Messi during El Clasico matches.
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He said: "Messi did not talk during the games and I tried not to talk to him because he was quiet. We always said that we should leave him like that.
"Because if we decided to obstruct him, we would provoke him and then he would get angry, and if he was angry, he became more and more difficult to handle."
After a stunning career in European football playing for Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain, Messi left the continent to join Major League Soccer side Inter Miami in 2023.
Since then, the 37-year-old has scored 34 goals in 39 matches.