5 Goalkeepers that made Messi struggle

#4 Edwin Van Der Sar

Edwin van der Sar Comes Out Of Retirement To Play For Dutch Amateur Team

Edwin Van Der Sar is a name well recognised in the Premier League, especially at Old Trafford. His name will never be forgotten at Manchester United. The legendary goalkeeper did really well to be on the list. He met Lionel Messi a couple of times and somehow, managed to silence the Argentina magician.

He kept Messi at bay in some crucial matches. The pair clashed in the knock out stages of the UEFA Champions League on April 23, 2008. Van Der Sar produced some impressive efforts to keep both Messi and Barcelona goalless in the clash that ended 0-0 at Camp Nou. In the reverse fixture on April 29, 2008, he repeated the feat again in a silent night for Messi and Manchester United eliminated Barcelona with a narrow 1-0 win.

However, Messi later got his revenge when the two teams met again, this time at the final of the same competition, scoring a goal in a 2-0 victory for Barcelona on May 28, 2009.

About the author

Jidonu is a European and international football news writer at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and has around 7 years of previous experience working with the likes of Tribuna and SportRaba, Jidonu has a good eye for detail and has the ability to created cohesive articles, and reporting exploits have also led him to exclusively cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the past.

Jidonu’s tryst with football started after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, being mesmerized by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Barcelona philosophy and approach towards the game under Pep Guardiola further fueled the burgeoning love for the sport, and he has been a Culer ever since.

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is his favorite player and is the one true GOAT for him over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi's brace led to La Albiceleste lifting the cup left a lasting impact on him. His love for Messi also sees him follow Major League Soccer apart from Europe’s top five leagues.

In his free time, Jidonu raps and produces music, and also enjoys reading and swimming.

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Edited by Umid Kumar Dey