How to effectively limit Messi’s play? The Netherlands may need these suggestions.

The Netherlands is about to usher in the 1/4 World Cup final against Argentina, how to limit Messi’s performance is naturally the key to this game. John Muller, author of The Athletic, makes an analysis.
To tell you the truth, how to limit Messi’s performance has long been no secret. After all, most players have studied the Argentine star more or less. For those teams that are likely to face Argentina in this World Cup, they must have studied Lionel Messi (including Van Gaal’s Holland). But when the players set foot on the field and face Lionel Messi, they still feel empty, just like after a day of diligent review, they still have a brain crash in the examination room the next day. That’s how Messi affected you in the game-he has too many ways to beat you.
Even so, let’s talk about how Lionel Messi can be restricted by the Netherlands, which is about to face Argentina.
Force Messi to the flank.
The first thing you need to know is how to target Lionel Messi. Quite simply, the little player with his head down and “walking” in the right rib area is Lionel Messi. Previously, Lionel Messi was clear in the area of activity on the court, either on the right wing or in the middle. But at the World Cup in Qatar, Messi seemed to have a balanced area for his teammates to pass the ball-covering the centre and the right wing.
Messi’s running coverage in previous World Cups
Under Scaroni, Messi is not a pure right-winger, but it is not the pseudo-ninth we are familiar with. He is more like one of the two strikers who partnered with Lautaro (or Alvarez).
As usual, Lionel Messi can go wherever he wants when Argentina has the ball, and DiMaria and de Paolo on the right can always help him to control the ball easily in his favorite position.
Argentina’s passing distribution map in the 2-0 match in Poland.
The first step to limit Messi’s play is to fight in the middle, and don’t give him enough space between the two lines in the middle and backcourt. If he can only take the ball on the flank outside the defence, then you have forced him to leave the most dangerous area of the pitch.
Guard against the forward left-back
There is a clear distinction between the left and right wings of Argentina-the right wing moves forward to the two strikers, while there is no such change on the left-if you have seen Lionel Messi’s performance at Paris Saint-Germain, you may find this arrangement a bit puzzling. After all, Messi’s favorite passing move is Mbappe, who passes the ball directly to follow up on the left. So who should Messi pass the ball to in Argentina?
The reason why Messi passes the ball like this is not to look for Mbappe, but because he, as an excellent left-footed passer, always moves from the right to the left, looking for space behind the left opponent, and then poses a threat to a long diagonal pass.
When moving to the left, Messi passes the ball longer.
The biggest problem Lionel Messi encountered in the first round of Argentina’s group match against Saudi Arabia was that there were no teammates on the left to pick up such a pass. Pape Gomez started as the left midfielder, but his speed was not fast enough to move quickly to the predetermined position to get Messi’s pass. It was after that game that Scaroni found a breakthrough in left-back Acuna. As a result, Messi will take the initiative to try to break through the opponent’s defence in order to attract the attention of the opponent’s right-back, and then, as he did with Alba at Barcelona, to create an opportunity for Acuna to break forward.
During the game, Acuna cut in front of Lautaro to pick up Messi’s diagonal long pass.
If anything, Argentina this year actually relied more on Lionel Messi’s diagonal long pass-even though they didn’t have a regular left winger. As for the defensive team’s response strategy, that is to limit Acuna’s movement, which is the key to stop Messi from passing the ball.
What has happened to Messi’s pass since the 2010 World Cup?
Actually, don’t let Messi go to the left at all.
Even if you limit Lionel Messi’s long diagonal pass, it won’t stop Messi from creating a threat: the left forward hitting the space behind the opponent’s centre-back. In the three games in the group stage, Messi’s most valuable passes were passed to Lautaro.
Most of Messi’s valuable passes to the Qatar World Cup so far have been to Lautaro.
It would be desperate to pass the ball to Lautaro or Alvarez and Lionel Messi himself to follow the movement-by the way, don’t let Messi take the ball directly into the penalty area and try to shoot.
Instead of trying to stop Messi’s attack, find a way to limit Messi’s left-foot advantage, which may be helpful to defense. Remember the pass route we talked about earlier? When Messi is forced to move to the right, his effective passing distance becomes shorter. Let’s do it!
Of course, it’s easier said than done. But some teams have indeed used this strategy to limit Messi’s performance. One way is to put pressure from behind him while he is in possession of the ball. He may get rid of this pressure, but usually, if he feels the pressure behind him, he may lose the ball.
Mexican defenders put pressure from behind Messi
Force Messi to change his direction.
The other thing a defender can do is stay on Messi’s left. It feels a little stupid because it allows Messi to push the ball directly and threaten the goal. But to be honest, the most important thing is to limit his ability to cut inward to the left.
Even if he is marked, Messi still has a way to make a breakthrough.
The ideal way to stop Lionel Messi is for two men to fight, one to hold the line advanced by Messi and the other to stop Messi from cutting on the left. You often see Lionel Messi lose the ball in this situation. Unfortunately, you will often see him find creative ways to take advantage of his opponent’s defense and create offensive opportunities.
Don’t let him lurk in the back post.
If you draw a map of Messi’s career shooting position, you will find that it is like “a beautiful little rainbow”, extending from the right side of the front of the penalty area to the left side of the small penalty area-this is the path he is looking for shooting opportunities. In this World Cup, he will be more likely to look for opportunities at the end of the “rainbow”, close to the goal on the left side of the penalty spot, with the highest shooting rate.
Messi will have more shots on the left side of the penalty area.
Because Argentina’s attacking side is on the right-DiMaria, de Paolo and Molina are all top creators-Messi sometimes makes a detour to the other end, lurking in the backpost position.
Taken together, defenders may prefer Lionel Messi to be a target without the ball rather than an organizer with the ball, but they should keep a close eye on Lionel Messi’s “lurking”. Messi scored seven of his 11 mobile shots in this World Cup in the penalty area, the highest percentage of shots he has ever shot in any World Cup.
When Lautaro holds down the centre-back, Messi will wait for a chance to occupy the back post.
Stop DiMaria and DePaul.
Suppose all of these are feasible. Suppose you really pushed Messi out of the familiar area. Then who else should you be worried about? Of course it was DiMaria and DePaul.
Even if you limit Lionel Messi’s performance, Argentina’s attack is also heavily dependent on the right. Molina’s cross has always been the team’s most dangerous passing option without Lionel Messi, and Di Maria and de Paolo are excellent creators with and without the ball. Keeping an eye on these two players is not as difficult as stopping Lionel Messi, and breaking the triangle offense that underpins Lionel Messi and creates most of the threats outside Lionel Messi is the key to any effective strategy to stop Messi.
If all this fails, give Lionel Messi a penalty. His performance in this respect is no better than that of other players.
Good luck to the Netherlands!
(Armour)