Adil Rami believes it is ‘easier to defend against Messi now’

Lionel Messi

is known as one of the best players in football history, having scored 672 goals in 778 games during his 16-year spell for

.

However, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner has only managed to score one goal in five games for the French club, and

defender

Adil Rami

believes he is no longer a threat in front of the goal.

"Granted, I never won, but there were draws and [chuckling] I got four or five shirts from him,"

Rami has told Ligue 1's

.

"He was too strong, back then he was always behind my back. He'd be offside and then he would move back to touch the halfway line and then go again.

"Now he's more of a passer, so it's easier for defenders as we can wait.

"I don't think he's able to do his slalom moves so much."

The former Sevilla and Valencia defender has a record of having faced Messi 12 times in Spain, recording not a single victory.

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