Former Manchester United fullback Patrice Evra revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson’s psychological game was a big factor in handing a great performance against Lionel Messi in the 2008 Champions League semi-final first leg at Camp Nou.
Evra said that the match was incredibly special as he and Messi battled each other. Reliving the night at the Camp Nou stadium, Evra revealed how Ferguson addressed the entire team, but especially him, and directly warned the team that if Messi is not stopped, then it will be his fault. The stress was so strong at the time, but it gave him so much strength to trump the situation and perform at his best.
His teammates and he managed to keep a clean sheet and got a 0-0 draw on enemy ground, while the second leg was a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford, ushering the team to the final against Chelsea, where they won the title the only Champions League trophy that Evra has in his cupboard. Looking back on that day, Evra said that the technique that Ferguson used showed that he not only knew football but also completely understood the psychology of players and was able to get the best out of them.
Even though they were able to successfully keep Messi quiet, Evra admitted that he was still one of the very few decent opponents he faced besides former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. But surprisingly, he named James Milner as his toughest opponent, because after playing against the midfielder 21 times, he knew how tirelessly Milner worked.
