Tonight, Messi will lead the Paris team against the struggling Lorient, which will not be exactly as it has been in the past, but he will resume his role as the star player of the team. For 17 years, Messi was almost invincible at Barca, and when Barca had problems to solve, the usual solution was to pass the ball to Messi, and his winning of 7 Ballon d'Ors was a testament to how successful this strategy was.
However, since moving to Paris in the summer, he has had to fight for goals. Mbappe has been the Parisian's main force this season, with 15 goals and multiple assists, there is no doubt that the 23rd birthday French superstar has completely surpassed the 34-year-old Messi. But Mbappe missed tonight's game against Lorient because of his suspension. Neymar is the mainstay of the Paris superstars, but he has not yet fully recovered, and this will be messi's first time to lead the paris team.
"If you look at Messi's numbers, his performance for 6 months this year is incredible," Leonardo said in an interview on Monday. He added: "If you doubt Messi, it's because you don't know anything about football. "Despite Leonardo's praise, there is no doubt that Messi is a disappointing man, at least in Ligue 1. Although he scored five goals in five games in the Champions League, he scored only one goal in 10 games in Ligue 1 and his defensive ability was also questioned.
"Did Grand Paris make a mistake in recruiting Messi? I think it's more and more," former big Paris star Jerome Roden told the media last month. "Speaking of Messi, you think of a lot of things, including personal achievements that we have struggled to see since the start of the season. You want him to improve his teammates. You can't tell me he's still adapting. You're running out of time!"
He slowed down the team, which was not in line with the players around him. The manager of Paris did not realize that it was necessary to let the players play in his direction, at his speed, to make him shine. Messi also had five assists, including a fantastic hat-trick against Saint-Etienne away from home, but it wasn't the performance of the greatest player paris had ever hoped for in the game.
He is adaptable because he is a talented player who has been with a club for 20 years and The Greater Paris signed him in 3 days. This was completely unexpected. Still, Messi has the opportunity to be the focus of the team, which could speed up his adaptation, which he played brilliantly for 20 years at Barca. Although Mbappe has been at a disadvantage for years, he has beaten Messi this season, but now Messi has at least 90 minutes against the most unstable side in Ligue 1, which is a great opportunity for Messi to regain the position he has always enjoyed at Camp Nou.
"It is true that without Mbappe we would have had to build and progress on the pitch in a different way," Pochettino admitted before the game, which he admitted. "A lot of times, we may go too fast. When Neymar or Mbappe are on the pitch, their first reaction is really to try to run to the back because these players are relaxed in this area. Without him, we will have the opportunity to create games and respect the steps of the attack. ”
That's why Messi came out, and the Manager Oflore Lowry will see what Messi will do to this game. In fact, it may be messi's most important test since his move to Paris. It's an opportunity for him to fully demonstrate his skills and potentially silence his critics.