# Mourinho had nightmares trying to stop Messi in El Clasico 2026-08-12T21:45:06+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Jose Mourinho admitted that preparing to face Lionel Messi in El Clasico gave him 'nightmares,' according to comments from his documentary. The former Real Madrid manager said he realised he could not beat Pep Guardiola's Barcelona by matching their style and had to adopt a different approach. Sami Khedira revealed that pre-match meetings would spend just two minutes on Barcelona's tactics and 40 minutes on how to stop Messi, sometimes requiring Pepe or Sergio Ramos to play in holding midfield roles. Messi scored 26 goals in 45 official appearances against Real Madrid, the highest tally by any player against the club. His iconic solo goal in the Champions League and his shirtless celebration after a late winner at the Bernabeu remain defining images of his rivalry with the Spanish giants. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com Tags: Barcelona, El Clasico, football rivalry, Jose Mourinho, Lionel Messi, Real Madrid Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/mourinho-had-nightmares-trying-to-stop-messi-in-el-clasico/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/mourinho-had-nightmares-trying-to-stop-messi-in-el-clasico/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.