PARIS / MUNICH – The excitement after he was signed was huge, but Lionel Messi hasn’t arrived in Paris yet. In Saturday’s top game against champions OSC Lille, Paris Saint-Germain were down 0-1 at the break, with the Argentine slightly injured and replaced as a precaution.
The fact is that PSG started the race to catch up without the superstar and yet won 2-1 fit with the helpless presence of the 34-year-old. It is certainly a bit early for an interim conclusion, but the fact that Messi is still without a goal or template after five games and 325 minutes in Ligue 1 certainly doesn’t live up to their expectations.
Messi Pochettino does not clap
The French daily “Le Figaro” wrote, “It was 45 minutes that were not worthy of his great talent. Messi was not accurate in front of the goal and with his passport.” “What about Messi?” Asked the Spanish sports newspaper “Marca”.
Coach Mauricio Pochettino called for precautionary measures to be taken after the game due to muscle problems. The fact that Messi did not clap with the coach after his replacement may have been due to his frustration with the injury. Or angry about the replacement and its own performance.
Because it was by no means exhilarating. The French newspaper “L’Equipe” gave Messi 3 points, the maximum score being 10. Despite the impressive three goals in the Champions League, which Messi scored in three matches, the superstar is yet to arrive in Paris.
Messi does not work as a false nine
The Hurricane series with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar not yet the three-headed monster that was traded before. In the absence of the ailing Mbappe, Messi played a false nine in his preferred position in front of the storm on Saturday, but it didn’t really work either.
At this time, with “L’Equipe” being judged harshly, Messi was only “a shadow of his true talent”. Many experts had already warned that due to such accumulation of superstars, problems can also arise. The next few weeks and months will tell if this is indeed the case.
Messi himself is silent for the time being. So it’s not possible to say with certainty whether it was actually a muscle problem that hindered the superdribbler, or whether he slipped into a form crisis after arriving in Paris. Only one thing is certain: the figures Messi has published in Paris so far are disappointing.
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