Di Maria: 'The only way to stop Barcelona was by hitting Messi and using rough tackles'
Angel Di Maria has discussed how Jose Mourinho’s tactics helped Real Madrid defeat Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona in the 2010-11 Copa del Rey final. According to Di Maria, the key to beating Barcelona’s dominant style was to match their intensity by playing a more physical, aggressive game.
“The only way to beat Barcelona was to hit, score, and run more than them,” Di Maria explained. “That’s what led to fights on the pitch.”
He revealed that, during these moments, he was particularly concerned for Lionel Messi’s safety. “At times, I was afraid they would injure Messi,” he admitted. “I was more worried about him than anything else.”
Di Maria recalled a specific moment when he fouled Messi to stop a dangerous run.
“The final was all kicks. At one point, I had to foul Leo,” he said. “I told him, ‘Sorry, but if I didn’t stop you, you could have scored.’”
Although the match was intense, Di Maria said he had no choice but to take such actions to stop Barcelona’s attacking force. “It was that way of playing. It was impossible to stop them without doing that,” he explained.
Mourinho’s tactics paid off as Real Madrid won 1-0 and secured the trophy.
