Bayern Munich president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is confident his team have their very own “Messi stopper” ahead of Friday’s Champions League quarter-final clash with Barcelona on Friday.
Rummenigge has talked up left-back Alphonso Davies head of the crucial tie in Lisbon and feels the teenager is well-equipped to handle the Barcelona captain at the Estadio da Luz.
“It’s a difficult and interesting task. But we have a good ‘Messi stopper.’ If Messi plays on his side, Alphonso will take care of him. He hasn’t really been outpaced or dribbled past this season.”
There’s no doubt Davies has enjoyed a superb season with Bayern. The teenager has helped the club to a league and cup double, making 38 appearances in all competitions for the German giants.
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Bright Future Ahead For Davies
Indeed Davies has caught the eye throughout the season for Bayern. He broke the Bundesliga speed record back in June in the club’s win over Werder Bremen.
36.51 km/h. 22.7 mph.
Alphonso Davies broke a Bundesliga record with this top speed vs. Werder Bremen 💥
The teenager has also impressed with the ball at his feet both in the Bundesliga and the Champions League.
Alphonso Davies has completed more take-ons (83) than any other full-back in a top five European league + European competition this season.
Flying down the Bayern left for five more years… at least. ⚡️
Davies missed training on Wednesday ahead of the clash with an adductor problem, but Barca were quick to play down his absence as purely a “precautionary measure” and he is expected to face Barcelona.
Messi is Davies’ Favorite Player
Bayern’s young star will surely be relishing Friday’s match and the chance to come up against Messi. Davies has told UEFA in an interview that the Argentina international is his favorite player.
“My mum called me yesterday and then my dad hopped on the phone, and he was like: ‘So you’re playing against your favorite player, I see.’ And I went: ‘Yeah.’ And then we both started laughing on the phone. And honestly we couldn’t even believe it, because he knows that I looked up to Messi when I was younger, and now playing against him, it’s really nice.
“Growing up, I used to watch him all the time and now I’m defending against him; it’s going to be a whole different ball game. But for me, it’s just playing my game, changing nothing on my side and just hopefully doing my best against him. We know that he’s a great player – we’re not going to take that away from him – so the best you can do is try, I guess.”
There’s no doubt that Davies is an incredibly exciting player with a big future ahead of him, but he will face surely the biggest test of his career so far up against Messi on Friday.
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Barcelona Told Bayern Have a ‘Messi Stopper’ for UCL Tie