According to the Spanish press, Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola is formulating something of a masterplan to stop Lionel Messi in his side’s Champions League semi-final against Barcelona.
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The Catalan manager knows the Argentine superstar better than most, as they were the two key protagonists during Barca’s recent golden era.
However, this week, Guardiola will find himself in opposition to his beloved Blaugrana has he attempts to help his current employers—Bayern Munich—advance to their first Champions League final since 2013.
According to Catalan daily Sport, as per Foot Mercato, the coach has become obsessed with stopping Messi and has a specific plan to reduce the Argentine’s impact in the final.
Having seen Messi terrorise both Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain previously in the competition—and deliver a masterful performance against Cordoba in La Liga this weekend—the former Spain midfielder has special plans to stop his friend.
Guardiola’s plan is to employ the trio of Philipp Lahm, Juan Bernat and Jerome Boateng to partake in a rotational marking system, where each of the three share the duties of silencing the footballing icon.