In Paris Saint-Germain's league match against former Ligue 1 champion Lille, Leo Messi was substituted at half-time.
Messi's tough start to Paris Saint-Germain continued last night, with the Argentine superstar being replaced by midfielders against Lille. Since his free transfer to the Ligue 1 giants in the summer, Messi has not scored a league goal without Paris Saint-Germain. The former La Liga prince has been strongly criticized by the French media for his sluggish start to PSG.
Lille led 1-0 and Messi went off in midfield. But Paris Saint-Germain turned the tide in the second half, with goals from Marquinhos and Di Maria giving them a 2-1 comeback victory. According to Ovacion24, the 34-year-old had muscle problems and was replaced.
According to WhoScored, the Ligue 1 newcomer is the player with the most shots in the league this season, with 15 shots in five games. The French media "Team Newspaper" expressed their feelings about Messi's performance so far at Paris Saint-Germain.
The French media used a picture and headline that Messi looked disappointed: Finally a good start? The team newspaper noted in the report: "Since he came to Paris Saint-Germain, Messi has not yet reached his performance at Barca. Despite not worrying about the worst, impatience has begun to spread. “
Former French star Nicolas Anelka (two-time Premier League winner and one-time Champions League winner) spearheaded Messi's career at Paris Saint-Germain, followed by criticism.
Speaking to French media outlet RMC, Anelka said: "Today we asked Neymar, but we can do the same with Messi. He hasn't been particularly good since the start of the season either. There was one player who won six Ballon d'Ors, but in the end he wasn't that good. ”
So far, Messi's three goals at Paris Saint-Germain have come from the Champions League. It was the second time he had been substituted against Lyon, paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino admitted this week that the dressing room caused a stir when he said Messi should win the Ballon d'Or.
In an interview, Pochettino canvassed for Messi: "There is no doubt that the Ballon d'Or should go to Messi. Even if I hadn't coached Messi, I would still say Messi. I answered with my heart. I always say how I feel. Along with him on the podium, he had to be Lewandowski and Cristiano. ”
But Pochettino has since said Neymar and Mbappe are not satisfied with his claims. "I had a problem saying Messi should win the Ballon d'Or," Pochettino said. "Neymar and Mbappe told me why it wasn't them. Anyway, it would be great to win it for any player from Paris, but Rio deserves it. ”