Paris Saint-Germain’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League first round group A football match between Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) and Manchester City, at The Parc des Princes, in Paris, on September 28, 2021.
Lionel Messi insisted he did not make a mistake leaving boyhood club, Barcelona FC for Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi joined PSG on a free transfer after Barca were unable to re-sign the six-time Ballon d’Or winner due to their financial crisis.
It ended Messi’s long-standing association with Barca, having made his senior debut for the LaLiga powerhouse in 2004-05.
Messi won 35 trophies at Camp Nou, scoring a record 672 goals across all competitions.
Now settling into life with PSG in the French capital, Messi said he is happy with his decision.
“I didn’t make a mistake in going to PSG,” Messi told France Football in a preview of his interview, which will be published in full on Saturday.
Since making the move to PSG, Messi has scored once – a goal in the club’s 2-0 Champions League win over Manchester City.
The 34-year-old is yet to find the back of the net in Ligue 1, where PSG suffered a shock 2-0 loss at Rennes last week.
It snapped PSG’s perfect start to the league season after eight consecutive wins, though Messi’s men are still six points clear atop the table through nine rounds.
Messi can run and get close to the ball, he is unstoppable’ – Guardiola
It was the moment European football had been waiting for – and the one Pep Guardiola knew was probably “unstoppable”.
Lionel Messi glided forward from the halfway line late on against Manchester City at the Parc des Princes, played a one-two with Paris St-Germain team-mate Kylian Mbappe and left goalkeeper Ederson rooted to the spot with a shot beautifully placed into the top corner.
It was the first club goal of his entire career that had not been scored for Barcelona and sealed a 2-0 victory for the team who signed him primarily to lead them to Champions League glory.
That strike ended a run of 264 minutes without a goal for Messi since his summer move from Spain. Manager Mauricio Pochettino celebrated with a sense of jubilation. Guardiola had seen Messi at close quarters enough to know it was as good as inevitable. Messi himself was left with a huge sense of relief.
“It’s true that I was getting desperate to score my first goal,” Messi told French broadcaster Canal Plus. “I hadn’t played much recently and I had only played once here at home but I am settling into the team little by little.
“The more us forwards play together, the better our relationship will be. We all need to grow together and improve and keep giving our best.”Messi scored with his only shot of the game against Manchester City
It has taken the 34-year-old Argentine more than a month to play his first four games for his new club because of lack of fitness, international duty and then an injury.
He had failed to score in his first three fixtures for PSG – against Reims, Club Bruges and Lyon – after joining on a free transfer in the summer.
By his standards, that was a goal drought.
PSG boss Pochettino, Messi’s fellow Argentine, was delighted to see it ended. “Usually I don’t celebrate goals, I keep it to myself,” he said. “But today, for Messi, I did.
“I spent years watching Messi score goals from the opponent’s side – so this time, scoring for my team, that’s great.”How Messi (number 30) scored his goal
PSG’s much-hyped front three of Neymar, Mbappe and Messi – the two most expensive players ever and the record six-time Ballon d’Or winner – showed some promising signs.
They played 44 passes between each other in total, almost 10% of PSG’s total.
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, beaten by Messi and Barcelona in the 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals, was impressed by the Argentine.
“You see the pace, strength, balance and the technique to put it where he did,” he said on BT Sport. “It was phenomenal.
“He was on the periphery of the game, he is at a new club and feeling his way in. Even superstars have to do that. You see the celebrations after the goal, that is relief. He is not usually so animated after.
“We have waited and it is worth the wait for what Messi did tonight.”
Ex-United and City midfielder Owen Hargreaves said: “Messi’s the man for the big occasion. He always seems to score against Pep Guardiola teams.”
That was Messi’s seventh goal in five Champions League games against teams managed by Guardiola – his former Barcelona boss. No other player has scored more often against Guardiola in the competition.
Former City midfielder Michael Brown was watching the game for BBC Radio 5 Live: “The headlines will be taken by Messi and that’s what we expect from the great man.
“He’s back and he’s with PSG.”
Guardiola won two Champions Leagues and three Spanish titles with Messi but was unable to ensure his side stopped one of the game’s greats.
“We know it’s impossible to control Leo during 90 minutes,” he said.
“He was not much in touch with the ball – of course he was coming back from injury, he needed a bit of rhythm – but we know quite well when he can run and get close to the ball, he is unstoppable.”
Messi happy to do the dirty work
Messi ensured Kevin de Bruyne could not fire his free-kick under the wall
Messi also caught the eye because of his hard work in the game. Sixteen of his 60 touches were in his own half. He won the ball off Riyad Mahrez on the edge of his own box to stop a City attack.
Even his run for his goal – which was his only shot – started in his own half.
No PSG player had more successful passes (43) in the game.
But the moment – other than the goal – which really caught the eye was when he performed the draught excluder role for a late Kevin de Bruyne free-kick.
That is where a player lies on the ground behind the wall so the taker cannot fire in a low free-kick. It was a role practically invented to defend Messi free-kicks.
De Bruyne went high, rather than low, and his shot was saved.
“We couldn’t believe it. He’s one of the greatest of all time,” said Hargreaves.
Ferdinand added: “The moment Mauricio Pochettino asked him to do that on the training ground, someone should have gone in and there and said ‘no no no’.
Not even the second-half introductions of Bruno Fernandes and Mason Greenwood could swing the game the home side’s way in a performance that exposed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s pre-match chat about the strength of his squad as somewhat hollow.
Lanzini’s goal was just reward for West Ham’s flying start. Ryan Fredericks eased between Jadon Sancho and Alex Telles before cutting a low cross back to the Argentine, who finished into the bottom corner.
Three times in the final five minutes the visitors should have wrapped up victory, but Andriy Yarmolenko, Mark Noble and Jarrod Bowen all failed to hit the target. In the end though, it didn’t matter.
It was the first Old Trafford triumph for the Hammers since Carlos Tevez’s matchwinner in 2007 kept them in the Premier League – and their first in a cup competition since Paolo di Canio scored the only goal in an FA Cup meeting in 2001.
For Manchester United and Solskjaer it is an early end to their hopes of securing the first available silverware of the season, and ending the wait for a trophy that stretches back to 2017.
Man Utd’s fringe men fail to shine
Defeat came after Solskjaer picked a completely different side – all full internationals – to the one that was on duty at the London Stadium. He now has tough decisions to make about some of his fringe players, who will now have even fewer opportunities to play.
Anthony Martial was a peripheral figure in attack, Juan Mata was replaced by Fernandes in the second-half, while Lingard, who, like Mata has a contract that expires in the summer, failed to have a notable impact.
In addition, Dean Henderson didn’t do much on his first appearance of the season to suggest he is a threat in goal to David de Gea.
The doubts over Solskjaer will surface again too after last week’s Champions League defeat at Young Boys.
Not that any of this will bother Moyes and his West Ham team, who kept their hosts at bay in relative comfort. Mata did clip the bar from an acute angle and debutant keeper Alphonse Areola made a good save to deny Greenwood.
Manchester United play Aston Villa at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Saturday, 25 September (12:30BST). West Ham visit Leeds on the same day (15:00BST).
‘Credit to David Moyes’
West Ham coach Stuart Pearce: “Delighted with the result. It is a really tough place to come. We started the game very well. Could have won by two goals to make the evening a bit easier.
“We were disappointed not to get something at the weekend. United are an outstanding team with a lot of talent. We are aspiring to challenge Man Utd.
“Credit to David [Moyes]. This is the first time he has beaten them since he left. He has been around for nearly 1,000 games, seen it all, done it all. He will take it in his stride. Not get washed away.”
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: “It was a poor start and then when we decided that we wanted to join the game we played some good football, loads of shots, loads of pressure, very good attitude, but we lacked a bit.
“Every game is important but you can see by the team selection that we’ve always used this competition when I’ve been here at the club to give minutes for ones who need it, it’s a long, long season.
“I’ve never actually won this tournament, that hunt will keep going, it’s a trophy I’d like to have. But we’ve made decisions to get the squad up to speed.”
On Anthony Martial: “I don’t think it’s right to go into individual performances. Anthony was the same as the rest of the team, we played some nice football, we lacked some of that cutting edge and he knows what we want from him. He’ll keep working and get his chances.”
Ronald Koeman limited himself to reading out a statement before leaving the press room during Wednesday’s pre-match press conference.
The Barcelonahead coach has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks, with there being reports that he could lose his job if the Blaugrana fail to secure a positive result against Cadiz on Thursday night.
“The club is with me in a situation of rebuilding. The economic situation is linked to the situation on the pitch,” said Koeman, as he read from his statement.
“We as a staff have to rebuild the team without making big investments and that takes time. The young talents can be world stars in a couple of years. The youngsters will have opportunities, like Xavi [Hernandez] and [Andres] Iniesta had, but patience is required.
“Besides, to finish high in the league table would be a success. In the Champions League, no miracles can be expected. The defeat against Bayern [Munich] must be seen in that light.
“The team must be supported, in words and actions. I know that the press recognises this process, it is not the first time in history that this has happened.
“We count on your support in these decisive times. We are very, very happy with the support of the fans, as was the case against Granada. Come on, Barcelona!”nullInsólito: Koeman lee un comunicado… ¡y abandona la sala de prensa!
Barcelona have played just five games in all competitions so far this season, but draws against Athletic Club and Granada in LaLiga Santander, coupled with a disappointing display in the win against Getafe, has caused the temperature to rise at the Camp Nou.
In addition, the way in which Barcelonalost 3-0 to Bayern Munich raised questions about Koeman‘s future, particularly as there was a meeting between Joan Laporta, Rafa Yuste and Mateu Alemany that went on into the early hours of the morning after this result.
Nevertheless, it was decided that Koeman would remain in charge… For now.
PSG Beat Lyon But Messi Yet To Score First Goal In France
Paris Saint-Germain’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi reacts after Lyon scored its opener during the French L1 football match between Paris-Saint Germain (PSG) and Olympique Lyonnais at The Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris on September 19, 2021. FRANCK FIFE / AFP
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) needed an injury time goal to defeat Lyon 2-1 in a French Ligue 1 clash on Sunday, but Argentine superstar, Lionel Messi was not on the scoring sheet as the wait for his first goal in France continued.
Messi outshone his team-mates in PSG’s all-star attack for much of the game at the Parc des Princes but he had been taken off by the time substitute Icardi headed in a cross from the left to secure a win that looked unlikely for long spells.
The excellent Lucas Paqueta gave Lyon the lead in the 54th minute, before Neymar won and then converted from the spot midway through the second half of an absorbing contest at the Parc des Princes.
The fact it was a contest might come as a surprise to many who expect PSG to run away with the Ligue 1 title this season and perhaps even go all the way in the Champions League.
However, they were disappointing in drawing 1-1 with Club Brugge in Belgium in midweek in Messi’s first start for the club and they were given a run for their money by Peter Bosz’s Lyon in a meeting of the two most successful French sides this century.
Yet Icardi –- in many ways the forgotten man of the PSG attack –- allowed his side to make it six wins from six in Ligue 1 this season and they are now five points clear at the top from Marseille.
That gap will surely widen as the weeks go by. Lyon, for all their good intentions here, are already 10 points behind the leaders in ninth place.
Not Messi’s Night
Three games into his Paris career Messi is still looking for his first goal, but he was unfortunate not to find the net in the first half when everything PSG did went through the six-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Angel di Maria were all on the field too but –- unfortunately for such a superstar attack –- there is only one ball and it seemed to be drawn to Messi’s feet.
He was set up by Mbappe for a shot that was saved by Anthony Lopes in the 17th minute. Then he combined with Neymar for another effort that was turned behind, and soon after the Argentine cracked a free-kick from almost 30 metres off the junction of bar and post.
That was in contrast to a free-kick that Neymar blazed over at the start of the second half, and in the 54th minute Lyon got the goal they had occasionally been threatening as Karl Toko-Ekambi delivered a low ball from the left and Paqueta swept a first-time shot low into the net at Gianluigi Donnarumma’s near post.
Neymar Spot On
Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian forward Neymar (R) is congratulated by Paris Saint-Germain’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi after scoring on a penalty during the French L1 football match between Paris-Saint Germain (PSG) and Olympique Lyonnais at The Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris on September 19, 2021. FRANCK FIFE / AFP
PSG were back level in the 66th minute as Neymar went down in the box under a challenge from youngster Malo Gusto.
It could just as easily have been a free-kick the other way but a penalty was given and the world’s most expensive player sent the goalkeeper the wrong way after his trademark stuttering run-up.
Messi remains short of full fitness and as he faded from the game he was taken off and replaced by Achraf Hakimi 14 minutes from time.
He appeared to reject coach Mauricio Pochettino’s hand as he walked past, but without him PSG got the winner as Mbappe’s superb cross from the left was headed in by Icardi.
PSG are back in league action at Metz on Wednesday and host Montpellier next weekend before entertaining Manchester City in the Champions League on September 28.
Marseille continued their unbeaten start as Bamba Dieng and Amine Harit netted in a 2-0 win over Rennes at the Velodrome.
Dieng, the 21-year-old forward from Senegal, has now scored three goals in the last two games for Marseille, who are emerging as the most likely team to give PSG a run for their money this season.
Elsewhere, Wissam Ben Yedder’s spot-kick secured Monaco a 2-2 draw in the Cote d’Azur derby at Nice, who saw Amine Gouiri miss a late penalty.AFP
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