30-year-old Giorgio Chiellini has been around the block a few times. As a central defender for Juventus and the Italian national team, he might as well be charged with upholding all that is holy, right, and effective in defense (I’m imagining him in an Atlas-esque pose, with a giant globe above him emblazoned with the word “Defense”). So when he tells us what it’s like to guard Messi and Ronaldo, we listen. We listen real good.
The Italian stallion was quoted in Eurosport discussing how he approaches defense when he commented on Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
"Knowing all about your opponents is fundamental, even the individuals.”
"It helps you understand their characteristics. Cristiano Ronaldo is a player you mark by trying to prevent him from coming inside on his right foot. As for Messi, you just make the sign of the cross and pray.
"Joking aside, each player has his own characteristics and you've got to make this kind of analysis."
This is pretty much how we thought things stood. That being said, I’m pretty sure that guarding Ronaldo is more complicated than “trying to prevent him from coming inside on his right foot.” Last time we checked, Ronaldo is almost as good with his left as he is with his right:
So Chiellini’s quote might be selling Ronaldo short, but Messi is still better. There can be little doubt about that, and Chiellini certainly agrees.
Unfortunately for Chiellini, he missed out on his chance to guard Lionel Messi during the 2015 Champions League final because of an injury he picked up in practice before the match. Although judging from what he says, it might not have been much of a chance at all.
Chiellini triumphed in his most recent match-up against Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the 2015 Champions League. His Juventus beat Madrid 3-2 on aggregate then, and in that game Chiellini picked up a head injury that made him look as epic as his team’s performance.
He mocks you and your "diving." Photo: @Marcocalcio22 | Twitter
Currently out with an injury again, the three time Serie A Defender of the Year has a chance to face off against Bayern Munich on March 16.
The18 Recommends For You
If Ronaldo and Messi are hard to guard, Bayern Munich surely pose a threat that is comparable. The tie is tied at 2-2 with both of Bayern’s goals being away goals, so Juventus must win the match. But that will not mean that Chiellini’s role in defense will be unimportant if he does indeed play; if Bayern scores one goal, Juventus will have to score two in order to have any chance of survival.
It should be a great game, and I think Chiellini and Juventus have more than a prayer of pulling it off.
Follow me on Twitter: @yetly
