JAMIE REDKNAPP

LIONEL MESSI v PATRICE EVRA

EVRA won’t have got much sleep last night. That is what playing against Messi can do to you. Tonight will be a huge challenge for the Frenchman, probably the biggest game of his life. But he did a fantastic job in the semi-final against Real Madrid. Now he has to step it up another notch. When Evra (right) left Manchester United last summer I don’t think anybody imagined he would be in a Champions League final. But if he is not 100 per cent alert to defending against Messi with Dani Alves on the overlap then he is in trouble. Evra needs to be careful. I’ve always worried he is prone to sticking out a lazy leg. If he gives away a penalty or is sent off, that’s game over. As for Messi, what more can you say? He is in the form of his life. If he wasn’t playing, these two teams would be nearly level. That says it all.

IVAN RAKITIC v PAUL POGBA

ANYONE who can step into Xavi’s shoes and not look out of place has to be special. That’s exactly what Rakitic (right) has done this season. The pressure on him has been huge but he supplements Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets well. He will be directly up against Pogba, who is such a powerhouse. He has so much to offer but he cannot let his ego get in the way. This is the kind of game where he can be elevated to world-class status if he plays well. He has all the quality to be the star of the show.

CARLOS TEVEZ v JAVIER MASCHERANO

THESE two have come a long way since joining West Ham together nine years ago. The two Argentines share a similar stature and temperament but tonight Tevez has two jobs. He must stop Busquets and he has to test Mascherano. Tevez has nuisance value and links midfield and attack well. But he needs to get one-on-one with Mascherano or Gerard Pique and wriggle into the box. Mascherano playing as a centre back defies logic, but he is a warrior. It will be a great battle.