Pep Guardiola says it's impossible to shackle Lionel Messi – because even the superstar himself does not know what he's going to do with the ball.
Messi is in Manchester to face his old Barcelona boss Guardiola, with Manchester City hosting Paris St Germain in the Champions League.
City need just a point to make the last 16, but Guardiola admitted he does not know how to contain six-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi, despite having managed him for four years at Barca.
“It’s so difficult,” said Guardiola. “Sometimes, when he has the ball, he doesn’t know what he’s going to do - so imagine you have to know what he's going to do.
“There are players who you can say if they will go to the right or the left.
“But when he has the ball, not even he knows exactly what he's going to do.
"So I can't tell the players what he will do, but it happens with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, with Angel Di Maria, with all the players up front in this team.
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“Every player could be a complete star in any team around the world, and all four are in the same team.
“But I'm still glad and happy that he's still playing, at the level he plays and with the quality, so it will be nice to face him.”
Victory for City will confirm them as Group A winners and send the Blues through to the knockout stage for the ninth successive season.
