Lionel Messi was not at his best for PSG in his first season. His penalty miss against Real Madrid was one of the crucial reasons why PSG were knocked out of Champions League.
Lionel Messi goes past a defender in Ligue 1. (Courtesy: Reuters)
HIGHLIGHTS
- Lionel Messi scored just six goals and provided 14 assists in the entire season
- Messi missed a penalty against Real Madrid in the Champions League
- PSG won the Ligue 1 and were able to keep the services of Kylian Mbappe
Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi did not have a good time at his new club in the first season. With just six goals and 14 assists in the entire season, Lionel Messi was incredibly below-par of the astronomical standards he has set for himself for the last 15-odd years.
A heartbreaking financial crisis at FC Barcelona saw him moving to PSG on a free transfer and at many times it looked like Lionel Messi was absent from the game while playing for PSG.
In their Champions League match against Real Madrid, Lionel Messi’s penalty miss became a crucial talking point that eventually led to PSG getting knocked out by a Karim Benzema second half hat-trick.
Speaking ahead of the next season,a media shy Lionel Messi told TyCSports that his next season will be much better at PSG now that he can have his head in the game. Messi came alive in the final days of the season, raking up assists as Kylian Mbappe went on a rampage scoring a large number of goals for PSG.
“Next season will be way better for me with Paris Saint-Germain, I’m sure. It was not easy after that crazy summer,” Messi said.
“It was really difficult to understand what happened, I wasn’t expecting to leave Barcelona – it was a shock,” Messi added further.
PSG have managed to keep the services of Kylian Mbappe, who was almost set to leave for Real Madrid this summer. However, the Paris-based club were able to pull a rabbit out of the hat by finding a humongous amount of money to keep their talisman.
PSG are once again expected to vye for the Champions League net season with the front three of Neymar, Mbappe and Messi.