Troyes defender Adil Rami has claimed that it is easier to defend against Paris Saint-Germain Lionel Messi nowadays.
The pair were frequent opponents during their stints in La Liga, where Rami - formerly of Valencia and Sevilla - faced Messi 12 times and did not end up on the winning side once.
Messi and Rami - 34 and 35 respectively - will renew hostilities later in the Ligue 1 season, though, and Rami is not expecting to face such a tough battle against his fellow veteran this time around.
Speaking to the official Ligue 1 website, Rami said: "Certainly, I never won, but there were draws (3), and I recovered four or five jerseys of him (laughs). The worst thing is that with Sevilla we won 2-1 at home against Barca (October 3, 2015) and I was injured.
"(He thinks) Oh dear, twelve games anyway... He was too strong. At the time, he was always behind my back, in an offside position, then he moved back slowly, he touched the halfway line, started again and still found Pedro in relay.
"It was unbelievable. Now he's more of a passer role, so it's easier for the defenders, we can expect that. I don't think he's able to do his beginner slaloms yet."
PSG overcame Troyes 2-1 in the early stages of the Ligue 1 season before Rami joined the club, and the two sides do not lock horns again until May 8.
Ben Knapton
