Barcelona legend Lionel Messi has destroyed some of the best defenders in the world across his football career, but he faced a tough battle with Alessandro Nesta.
When he reached the age of 35, it would be easy to write off the Italian former defender against Messi.
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But when the former Barca star crossed paths with the ex-AC Milan player in 2011, the Argentine ace met his match.
Messi skillfully dribbled his way into the box during the Champions League match and was about to pull the trigger, but Nesta tracked back and delivered the perfect slide tackle.
He stopped the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner from scoring, as well as leaving Messi to slam his hands onto the pitch in a sign of pure frustration.
Check it out below.
Absolute pure class, right?
"I am Messi fan, but this is just beautiful," one YouTube user wrote.
Another said: "I don't think there is a single defender in the world today that would be able to do this in such difficult position. Nesta is a LEGEND, GIANT!"
A third posted: "Nesta... Doesn't need a legion of fans to be a legend... man did his work silently, and he was almost 10 years older than Messi when he did that."
A fourth added: "Nesta. You beauty."
Messi won't be forgetting about that tackle for a long time.
Featured Image Credit: YouTube
Topics: Football, Barcelona, Lionel Messi, Champions League, Spain, La Liga
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