GARETH SOUTHGATE'S assistant Steve Holland admits the plan to stop Kylian Mbappe on Saturday could be Messi.
Well, Messi 2.0 to be more precise, as Holland plans to dust down a decade-old dossier drawn up in his Chelsea days.
When Roberto di Matteo took over from Luiz Felipe Scolari in mid-season at the Blues, Barcelona were strong favourites to beat 12 Chelsea in the two-legged 2012 Champions League semi-final.
Lionel Messi had already scored 14 goals in the competition that season and 63 in all competitions and most pundits expected the Argentina maestro to beat the Premier League side all on his own.
However, with a narrow 1-0 win under their belts at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea held on for a memorable 2-2 in the Nou Camp despite having skipper John Terry sent off earlier in the game. By the same token, Mbappe arrives at the Al Bayt Stadium with five goals, putting him clear at the top of the World Cup Golden Boot table in Qatar and playing the sort of football which many say is unstoppable.
This story is from the December 07, 2022 edition of Daily Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 07, 2022 edition of Daily Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
JOS GETS HIS 15 MINUTES OF FAME
Benitez's second-hand motor has driven all the way to final
KOMPANY: THERE IS NOTHING FOR US TO LOSE
Burnley boss rallying troops ahead of D-day
LANDO'S RACE TO THE TOP
Norris wants to keep winning as he eyes title in 2025
England's Euros bid boosts ITV revenues
DEMAND from advertisers for slots during the summer's Euros helped offset a revenue fall at ITV's production arm.
Navy's virtual warship sets sail...on dry land
A TRAINEE officer takes control of the Royal Navy's latest \"warship\" a virtual reality simulator that recreates real bridges on vessels.
Weed no idea this relic was buried in garden
THIS 4th-century Celtic relic was unearthed by gardener Graham Senior as he weeded an overgrown flowerbed.
Catch of the day is a splasher
A HUNGRY osprey makes a dramatic splash swooping in at 80mph to bag a Highland fish breakfast.
Python's reunited...but not the full Monty
BIRTHDAY boy Sir Michael Palin is still looking on the bright side of life - especially with two of his Monty Python pals to help him celebrate.
'I could only find teddy bears and pillows to save my family from sword attack'
Injured Hainault attack hero tells of ‘miracle' that spared him
Vaccination warning as whooping cough kills five babies
FIVE babies aged under three months have died after whooping cough infections surged to the worst levels for at least a decade.