He’s not the one we’ve been talking about the most at PSG since the start of the season. And that is explained. The enormous performances of a Neymar returned to his best level as evidenced by his 11 achievements in 12 matches focused attention on the Brazilian. And as Kylian Mbappé has not eased up (11 goals in 10 matches) despite the various stories that have come to confuse his daily life, Lionel Messi was the one who was the least put forward in the offensive sector during the first months of this new season. And yet, there is something to say about his case. What to incense him especially.
Since the start of this season, PSG has finally benefited from a Messi who looks more and more like the one who was in the heyday of Barça. If Paris had seen in snatches the immense talent of the sevenfold Ballon d’Or during his first exercise on the banks of the Seine, to say that the Pulga had not lived up to expectations for his first Parisian opus was not insult him. And if some even dared to wonder if he was not clearly on the decline at 35 after his meager record in 2021-22 given his past standards (11 goals and 14 assists in 34 games), the former Barcelona takes care of putting the dots on the i’s.
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Already author of seven achievements and eight assists in 12 games this season, Lionel Messi finds a smile. The reasons for this “rebirth” are manifold. Already, he has been there for a year now. And after seeing him leave his old club where he trained before launching his career and becoming a football legend, it was not illogical that the “Chip” took a little time to adapt to his new environment. Even if we are one of the greatest players in history, such a change is not trivial. But today, Messi has made his mark, off the field with his family and on the meadows with the PSG tunic on his back. And it feels.
When Leo smiles, the team smiles too
Better in his crampons in Paris, more fulfilled and necessarily motivated by the 2022 World Cup – which may be his last chance to hang this trophy missing from his list -, Lionel Messi was also able to enjoy a restful summer and a preparation worthy of the name to attack this new campaign. And there too, it shows when he is more explosive on the pitch to be a permanent threat to opposing defenses. Paris takes full advantage of it. But if the former Catalan shines for all these reasons, it is also a tactical question.
The game plan set up by Christophe Galtier suits him perfectly. Placed more in line than last season with Mauricio Pochettino, the Parisian number 30 is more comfortable. Closer to the two attackers and well helped by the profile of the two midfielders behind him, the Argentinian turns into a luxury servant to make the game smoother while he has the freedom to shift to the right when he wants. feels the need or to get closer to the heart of the debates.
In this 3-5-2 chosen by the former technician from Lille and Saint-Etienne, the work of the laterals also makes it possible to rule out the game to give Messi more space to express himself. However, when we leave a few centimeters to a player of this talent, he takes care of the rest to make his technique speak, his reading of the game or his sense of dribbling… “He has a very sharp, very clear tactical sense. He quickly sees where he has to put himself and how he has to position himself to play with each other. He’s in an area he loves and when Leo smiles the team smiles too“, summed up Christophe Galtier in August. A finding that has not been denied since.
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