The Messi plus Messi in the mother of all reunions
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BarcelonaLeo Messi against Real Madrid, but dressed for the first time in a shirt that is not Barça’s. Deunidó with the starting point this Tuesday (9 pm, Movistar Champions League) at the Parc dels Príncipes, home of the first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League. When the ball starts rolling, maybe the spotlight will be taken by Kylian Mbappé, a likely future white player; Vinícius Júnior, emerging star of Carlo Ancelotti’s team, and Neymar, who will reappear on the pitch, with 30 years behind him, after almost three months out of action. But the undisputed prominence of the previous one is for the Argentine striker, who will be reunited with his eternal rival defending the interests of Paris Saint-Germain. This is because the French club was able to make room for its payroll last summer. Barça, on the other hand, did not take any action in this regard. Moreover, Gerard Piqué and company only agreed to have their pockets touched when Messi was already wearing the number 30 under the orders of Mauricio Pochettino.
According to his surroundings, the Catalan coach arrives at the meeting with Madrid “at the best time since he left”. When it landed in the French capital it took weeks to manage the emotional impact of being away from home. I didn’t expect it, I didn’t want it that way. Neither he nor his family adapted to living in a hotel in central Paris, in a setting more like a rock star than a footballer accustomed to hiding near the sea. That’s why he speeded up the process of renting a house on the outskirts of the city, in the same neighborhood where Ángel di María and Leandro Paredes, two teammates and a selection, live. The change of air did not translate into continuity on the turf until the end of November. In fact, between shooting and physical and mental setbacks, Messi only played in five of the first twelve Ligue 1 matches, in which he did not score goals or assist. The stability in the state competition was found in the last stretch before Christmas, with five full games in a row, although with discreet numbers (1 goal and 5 assists).
PSG did not need the best version of Messi to leave the league sentenced. Pochettino is thirteen points ahead of Olympique de Marseille. On the other hand, in the Champions League, the Argentine has performed decisively, with 5 goals in 5 games against rivals such as Guardiola’s Manchester City and Dani Olmo’s Leipzig. Without his contribution, the French team would have suffered more than the account to move to the round of 16, where the draw framed him first with Manchester United and then, in the valid reissue, with Madrid. Once again, luck was on the side with PSG, the betting favorite despite their coach’s respectful speech. “This club [en referència al PSG] he has been trying to reign in Europe for fifty years and is aspiring again. But beyond the economic effort we made in the summer, Madrid has a habit of winning. It’s not about being a victim, it’s about talking about realities, “said Pochettino, who has never been dedicated to the white club, which has been on his agenda several times.
Sergio Ramos, the great absentee; Benzema, chopped
In the fight to start earning a ticket to the quarterfinals, PSG will not be able to count on Sergio Ramos, an illustrious former Madrid player immersed in a real ordeal of injuries. In the Spanish team, Ancelotti will keep the doubt until the last minute of Karim Benzema, who has traveled to Paris without being 100%. Who will not negotiate his presence is Messi, who made his debut at the Parc dels Príncipes in September, arrives in February with almost the entire repertoire to be re-released and has outstanding debts with the Champions to be resolved. Despite the catastrophes accumulated in Rome, Anfield and Lisbon, he imagined himself playing again with Barça, the club of his life, but not for this reason he will miss the winning context offered to him in Paris to overcome the traumas of the past. . The first step towards glory, this Tuesday against the dreaded old Madrid, against whom he has played 45 times, scored 26 goals and delivered 14 assists. By this time, Casemiro is already thinking about how to stop Messi, who hopes to smile again in Europe.
Manchester City, on stage against an inferior rival
In addition to the highlight of PSG – Real Madrid, tonight is also re-released in the Champions League one of the top contenders to get it, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, which travels to Lisbon to face Sporting of Portugal. The citizens, the outstanding leaders of the Premier League, have put a lot of hope in the top competition after last year they were on the verge of winning it in the final they lost against Chelsea. In his appearance before Tuesday’s match at the José Alvalade, Guardiola spoke about his future at the Etihad. “I am not like Alex Ferguson [al Manchester United]. I have a year and a half of contract left and it’s a long time. There is a great atmosphere and that always helps “, said the Santpedor coach, who is already immersed in his sixth season as a City coach.
