Champions League; ‘I Have No Idea How To Stop Messi’ – World’s Most Expensive Defender

Virgil Van Dijk has admitted he has no idea how Liverpool will stop Lionel Messi in the Champions League. The Dutch defender grabbed the fourth as the Reds romped to a 4-1 win in Porto last night to seal a 6-1 triumph on aggregate to set-up a semi-final clash with Barcelona.

Now the world’s most-expensive centre-back, 27, is faced with the task of stopping one of the greatest, if not the best ever, strikers.

And he did not try to hide the fact he and his Liverpool team-mates know they face a huge challenge in the last four.

When quizzed about it after the demolition job in Porto, Van Dijk insisted that he will need help from the whole Anfield side in order to advance to the final for the second-successive year.

He said: “How are we going to do it (stop Messi)? I don’t know, we’ll see.

“It’s going to be a great match-up for all of us. “It’s about doing it all together, it’s never one vs one, it’s never just me against a particular striker. “It’s always us against everyone and I think that’s the only way we can defend well.”

Van Dijk is one of the leading contenders to be crowned footballer of the year.