Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane has opened up about the difficulty of keeping Lionel Messi quiet, confessing that it takes more than one man to keep tabs on the magical Argentine.
Varane has starred at the Bernabeu for almost a decade since moving from Lens in 2011, lifting four Champions Leagues and two Liga titles during his stay.
But even Madrid's stellar centre-back pairing of the Frenchman and Sergio Ramos has been made to suffer at the hands of Messi over the years.
Barcelona's captain is the all-time top scorer in Spain's famous Clasico, netting no less than 26 goals in the fixture to outgun the likes of Alfredo Di Stefano, Cristiano Ronaldo and Cesar Rodriguez.
Last time round, however, Messi found little joy as he was squeezed out in a dour 0-0 draw at Camp Nou.
And while Varane admits that keeping the record-breaking forward quiet is no easy task, he has a few ideas on how to mark his adversary.
"You can't defend like you do with others and it takes teamwork. You can't leave him room," the defender told La Liga when asked about Messi.
"Being a defender of Real Madrid means being able to make very few mistakes. We have 50 meters of field behind us."
Varane was barely 18 when he swapped Lens for the pressure of the Bernabeu, but he has gone on to become a cornerstone of the Merengue backline alongside Ramos.
The France international recalls that the Madrid captain and Pepe were role models for him as a young player, while he also looked up to another club legend.
"I was inspired by players like Pepe or Sergio Ramos because they are defenders and by someone like Cristiano Ronaldo, who is an example for any footballer," he added.
"Sergio Ramos has a winning mentality and has great experience.
"[Coach Zinedine Zidane] Is a great example for me due to his serenity, his always positive being. I've been here for eight years and every time it's like starting from scratch. I want to give my best for this shirt."
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