The El Clasico contests between Real Madrid and Barcelona often contain several sub-plots and the tussles between former Camp Nou talisman Lionel Messi and one ex-Los Blancos star caught the eye

Manchester United star Casemiro has been named as the "weapon" Real Madrid used in attempt to nullify the threat posed by Lionel Messi during his Barcelona days.

The defensive midfielder formed part of the all-conquering Los Blancos teams that won the Champions League on four occasions during the previous decade. However, they would not have it all their own way in La Liga during that time, with arch-rivals Barcelona posing an ever-present threat.

Now, Madrid stalwart Federico Valverde has reflected on his team's tussles with their old enemy during a glorious era for Spanish football. In particular, the Uruguayan star singled out the battle between former teammate Casemiro and then-Barca talisman Messi as one that caught his eye.

The 25-year-old, who played alongside Casemiro between 2018 and 2022, admitted that the Brazilian was the man often tasked with keeping the legendary forward at bay. Asked how to stop Messi ahead of Uruguay's World Cup qualifier against Argentina, Valverde said: "I don't know how to do it. I could never stop him."

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"We had many Clasicos, and Casemiro was always a good weapon against Messi. Although not always.

"You have to respect him because he is one of the best players in the world."

The Santiago Bernabeu mainstay admitted that his team's ploy to quell the effectiveness of Messi would not always pay dividends during their clashes. However, it is clear that Casemiro's contributions in this regard made a lasting impression on the Uruguayan ace.

In fixtures against Barcelona during his glittering spell in Spain, the midfield colossus clocked up nine wins, four draws and six defeats in all competitions. He would help his team to gain the upper hand in head-to-head clashes in the league as well, with a record five wins, three draws and five defeats during his spell with Madrid.

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Casemiro and Lionel Messi found themselves on either side of the El Clasico divide during their glittering spells in La Liga ( Image:

The admiration between Casemiro and Messi is clear, however, with the former having waxed lyrical about his former adversary previously. Speaking to Placar, the Old Trafford star admitted that the Barcelona legend's status in the game is secure, saying: "[Lionel] Messi has marked an era, you can't deny it.

"He was always an opponent, with Barcelona and Argentina but for anyone who likes football, they like Messi. It was a pleasure to play against him. He's the kind of guy you can't say enough about, you can only admire him."

Further expressing his admiration towards Messi, he included him alongside Cristano Ronaldo and Neymar as his picks as the 'three biggest stars' of his generation. He added: I saw Ronaldo [Nazario], [Zinedine] Zidane, but from my era those three are the best. I never played against Cristiano [Ronaldo], thank God he helped me win lots of titles [in Real Madrid]."