BARCELONA, Spain — He knew. Of course he knew. Pep Guardiola spent four remarkable years as the coach at Barcelona, won 14 trophies at Barcelona, saw Lionel Messi score more than 200 goals for Barcelona. When Guardiola, who now coaches Bayern Munich, said Tuesday, calmly and with an honest gaze, that Messi was “unstoppable,” it was not hyperbole. It was simply the truth from a man who could not lie.
Guardiola, of course, was right. Bayern Munich certainly tried. The Bavarians tried everything, really. Physical play. High-pressure defending. Even a risky three-back defensive scheme that lasted fewer than 20 minutes — at which point Guardiola realized he was doing the soccer equivalent of playing with dynamite.