"He is a genius" - PSG captain Marquinhos hopes 'decisive' Lionel Messi will make the difference against Real Madrid
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) skipper Marquinhos has tipped Argentine superstar Lionel Messi to play a decisive role in the Ligue 1 side's upcoming Champions League second leg clash against Real Madrid.
The Parisian club will travel to the Spanish capital to face Los Blancos on Wednesday night (9 March) for the deciding tie. Mauricio Pochettino's side currently hold a slender 1-0 advantage from the first leg thanks to a splendid solo strike from star attacker Kylian Mbappe.
Paris Saint-Germain dominated the game at the Parc des Princes, but had to wait until the 94th minute for the breakthrough. Messi had the opportunity to open the scoring earlier in the game but missed from the spot.
However, Marquinhos has backed the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner to make a difference in the second leg for PSG. The centre-back told Prime Video Sport France as quoted by PSG Talk.
“On the field, you don’t see him, but he is a player who has the ball, and is decisive for the team, who makes decisive passes”
“He is a genius. I hope he scores a lot and is on his night against Real Madrid.”
Lionel Messi made his Barcelona B debut 18 years ago.
The start of something beautiful 😍 https://t.co/DQcjdgQvKz
Messi has had an incredible record against Real Madrid, winning 20 out of 46 games against Los Blancos. The 34-year-old has bagged a total of 26 goals and 14 assists against the La Liga giants and PSG will hope their superstar can once again punish Real.
Messi has had an underwhelming season by his very high standards, having found the back of the net just seven times in 24 games across all competitions. He has scored only two goals in 17 Ligue 1 appearances this term. However, he has turned himself into the prime creator of Mauricio Pochettino's side, having provided ten assists so far.
The Argentine superstar created four goalscoring chances in the first leg and had eight shots on Thibaut Courtois' goal, with two of them being on target.
Can Messi fire PSG to Champions League glory if they beat Real Madrid?
Since their mega-money takeover, PSG have had plenty of success in French football, having become the dominating force in Ligue 1.
However, Champions League glory has eluded them thus far with them coming closest in 2020, losing to Bayern Munich in the final. However, this could prove to be their year if they can knock Real Madrid out of the last 16.
Marcus Rashford was considered by PSG last summer if Kylian Mbappe forced his way to Real Madrid - according to @FabrizioRomano 👀 https://t.co/yqNFWQb9bW
Messi, a four-time Champions League winner, could play a decisive role while Paris Saint-Germain have plenty of firepower all across their star-studded squad.
This could be Kylian Mbappe's last season for the French side, while Neymar could be the match-winner on his day too.
The Parisians might not be having the best of seasons this term. But with the quality they have at their disposal, they will remain one of the favorites for continental silverware as long as they are in the competition.