In an insightful revelation, former Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria has spoken about the tactics employed by Jose Mourinho to defeat Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona during the intense 2010-11 Copa del Rey final.
Di Maria, who was part of several heated El Clasico encounters, reflected on the unique strategy that Mourinho used to face a dominant Barcelona side.
According to the Argentine, the only way to stand a chance against Barcelona’s incredible playstyle was to match their intensity by playing a rougher, more aggressive game.
Just hit them
He explained that it wasn’t just about skill but about out-hustling Barcelona, pushing them physically and keeping up with their relentless pace. However, this often led to confrontations on the pitch, with players frequently clashing.
“The only way to beat that Barcelona was by hitting, scoring and running more than them. And that somehow led to them fighting each other on the pitch,” he told Clank.
Di Maria admitted that, during these moments, he was particularly concerned for Barcelona’s star, Lionel Messi, fearing that some of the tackles might result in serious injury.
“At times I was afraid that they would injure Lionel Messi, I was more worried that nothing would happen to him than anything else.”
Memory of the final
The final at Mestalla, where this intense match took place, was a prime example of the rough style of play. Di Maria described it as a game full of fouls and physical challenges, with both teams giving no quarter.
He even recalled a specific moment where he had to foul Messi to stop a potential goal. Despite his respect for Messi’s talent, Di Maria knew that stopping him in that moment was vital for the team’s chances.
“The game at Mestalla was very tough, that final was kick and kick. At one point I had to kick Leo, who was going against us.
“I lifted him up and said to him ‘Sorry kid, but if I didn’t get you down you could have scored on us’. I had no other option. It was that way of playing, it was impossible to stop,” he admitted.
His regretful but necessary tackle was a symbol of the approach Real Madrid had to adopt to cope with Barcelona’s offensive power.
At that time, Barcelona were at the peak of their strength, having handed Real Madrid a 5-0 defeat in the league, just a few months earlier.
Barcelona’s superiority in these clashes seemed almost insurmountable, but Mourinho’s tactical decisions that night at Mestalla provided a blueprint for how to deal with their formidable force.
