‘He is very fast and big’ – Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi talks about Virgil van Dijk

• Football

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has revealed why it is hard to play against Virgil van Dijk after losing to Liverpool last summer in the Champions League.

Barca were drawn against the Reds in the semi-final after knocking out Manchester United in the quarter-final.

The Catalans defeated Liverpool 3-0 at Nou Camp in the first leg of the semi-final – a game where Messi scored twice.

At Anfield, the Argentine forward was silenced by Virgil van Dijk and his defence line and watched how the Merseyside club turned the scoreline around.

Liverpool defeated the La Liga giants 4-0 in the return leg to reach the Champions League final, where they went ahead to beat Tottenham 2-0 in the final.

And Messi admits the Dutch defender has many attributes which make him one of the best defenders in the world.

‘He is a defender that knows how to judge the timing and wait for the right moment to get in or hold on,’ Messi told Marca.

‘He is very fast and big, but he has a lot of agility for his height.

‘He is fast because of its great stride and is impressive, both in defense and attack because he scores many goals.’

Van Dijk and Liverpool will travel to Old Trafford on Sunday to take on struggling Manchester United in the Premier League.