Robertson names Messi as toughest opponent he has ever faced
by Ahad Shaukat · CaughtOffsideImage via: Stick to Football
Andy Robertson has picked Lionel Messi as the toughest opponent he faced during his career, pointing specifically to Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final defeat at Camp Nou in 2019.
Robertson came up against many of the world’s best players during nine seasons at Liverpool, winning two Premier League titles and the Champions League while making 378 appearances for the club.
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Yet Messi’s performance in Barcelona’s 3-0 first-leg victory clearly left the biggest impression.
Robertson picks Messi after Camp Nou masterclass
Speaking during his latest appearance on Stick to Football, Robertson was asked to name the toughest opponent he had ever faced.
His answer was straightforward:
“Lionel Messi, Champions League Semi Final at Camp Nou.”
There is plenty of evidence to explain that choice. Liverpool actually produced 14 attempts to Barcelona’s 11 in the first leg on May 1, 2019, but Messi’s individual quality ultimately separated the teams.
The Argentine scored twice in the second half, first converting after Luis Suarez had hit the crossbar before producing one of the defining moments of his Barcelona career, a spectacular long-range free-kick in the 82nd minute. That was also Messi’s 600th goal for Barcelona.
Liverpool famously overturned the 3-0 deficit with a 4-0 victory at Anfield six days later, although Robertson only played the first half of the return leg after suffering an injury. Liverpool went on to beat Tottenham in the final and lift the Champions League.
The comments came as Robertson reflected on his career on the latest Stick to Football episode following his summer departure from Liverpool. The Scotland captain left Anfield after nine seasons, eight major trophies and 69 assists.
Claim from Liverpool icon shows Messi’s brilliance
Robertson’s answer is hardly surprising.
At his peak, Robertson was one of Europe’s most energetic and aggressive full-backs, capable of matching elite wingers physically while also contributing heavily in attack. Messi presented a completely different problem because he rarely stayed in one fixed position.
The 2019 semi-final was a perfect example. Liverpool were competitive for long spells and arguably deserved more from the game, but Messi needed only a few decisive moments to turn a close contest into a 3-0 scoreline.
That is what made defending him so difficult: even when a team’s overall performance was strong, one lapse of concentration could be punished immediately.
Robertson eventually had the final say in the tie through Liverpool’s remarkable comeback, but his choice of Messi as his toughest individual opponent says plenty about just how difficult that night at Camp Nou was.
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