Former Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho singled out praise for an FC Barcelona star on Saturday, calling him "one of the most underrated players in the world" after the Blaugrana's El Clasico win over Real Madrid, and also seemingly had a dig at Paul Pogba.
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Barca secured their second victory over rivals Los Blancos in the space of four days on the weekend, with Ivan Rakitic's lone strike once again giving the visitors the derby bragging rights at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Croatian – who recently spoke of his desire to stay at the Camp Nou amid speculation he could leave at the end of the campaign, with reported interest from Premier League giants Manchester United and Serie A side Inter Milan – was showered with praise by Mourinho after the match.
"They (Barcelona) are much more solid than in other seasons," the Portuguese tactician told beIN SPORTS.
"They know how to defend and be together. Although they don't play the beautiful football they're used to, they're winning games and this is key to challenging the big teams in the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Champions League.
"He (Rakitic) is one of the most underrated players in the world. Fantastic in all levels; he defends, he compensates for (Lionel) Messi, he runs and he's sensible with the ball at his feet."
The former Chelsea boss also seemed to have a slight dig at Pogba, saying that Rakitic only needs to improve his use of social media to become an even more complete player in the modern game, which many believe to be a slight jibe aimed at the Red Devils superstar.
"He has to improve his Instagram and social media because this is very important now," Mourinho added.
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Rakitic has made 39 appearances across all competitions for Barca so far this season, finding the back of the net on five occasions and being on hand to assist a further seven strikes too.
Which midfielder would you rather have in your team, Pogba or Rakitic? Have your say in the comments section below.
