Following his recent bout with Covid-19, Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi took to the pitch for his first game of 2022 as a substitute against Stade de Reims. Featuring for only 27 minutes, the 34-year-old still managed to provide an assist and two key passes in that limited time frame.
During a segment on Téléfoot (via Canal Supporters), French football pundit Bixente Lizarazu spoke about what he expects from Messi for the remainder of the season.
“I think he will become the great player he was with Barça in the second half of the season. It is true that at Barça, the team played for him, there he had to adapt to PSG. I think he managed the adaptation. He spent 20 years in Barcelona; the departure was made in confusion, in tension,” Lizarazu said.
“You have to digest all that a bit. It is true that in Ligue 1, it is not in its standards; in the Champions League, on the other hand, it is. He is a great champion, and I am convinced that in the upcoming matches in UCL, he will be decisive.”
Messi is under tremendous expectations to get into his top form soonest possible as all hopes are piled on the shoulders of the Argentine to help the Parisian juggernauts clinch their UEFA Champions League match-up against Real Madrid.
When the capital club decided to sign Messi after his unexpected departure from FC Barcelona, they designated him as one of the pivotal pieces that can get the Ligue 1 side back to the Champions League final and win top European honors.
He will have the opportunity to get PSG past the Round of 16 when they play against a team and at a stadium he’s familiar with and has had plenty of memorable moments over these two legs.
Credit: Football Tribe Malaysia
