"I know where he normally positions himself" - Angel di Maria suggests Lionel Messi's game was easy due to Argentina connection
PSG’s Angel Di Maria recently suggested that he has been able to strike a connection with Lionel Messi easily due to the two playing together for Argentina.
Lionel Messi joined PSG from Barcelona at the start of the season. He has had a difficult time settling down in Ligue 1 where he has only one goal in 11 appearances so far. Angel Di Maria joined PSG in July 2015 after spending less than a year at Manchester United.
Comme prévu, l'Argentine n'a pas appelé Lionel Messi pour les deux prochains matches internationaux. Ses coéquipiers au PSG Angel Di Maria et Leandro Paredes sont eux bien présents ow.ly/xJqt50Hy6WE https://t.co/oEaOhKcCbr
He scored over 90 goals and has the highest assists in PSG’s history with 107 in 279 appearances across all competitions. The two have been long-term teammates for the Argentina national team and won the Copa America in 2021. Angel Di Maria recently claimed his experience of playing with Lionel Messi has helped him at PSG:
I think it's a good thing to have a connection with Leo already, because I know him, because I know where he normally positions himself, where he looks for the ball, where he usually takes it. Afterwards, it's obvious that when you play for a club, the movements of the other teammates, from Kylian to Marco, of those who play, make his own movements also different. I think it's a bit of everything and that little by little, each piece will fit together, that he will improve more and more, like the rest of the group.
Angel Di Maria sheds light on Lionel Messi’s PSG arrival, outlines determination to win trophies
It is no secret that PSG are looking to win multiple trophies, especially the UCL crown this year. Their most recent recruits are well-aware of the increased expectations after the Ligue 1 disappointment from last year. Angel Di Maria outlined the team’s determination to win:
“I think this year we started very strong, with the desire to try to win everything again and that's the important thing. But I also think that the French championship has grown a lot, and little by little it has improved a lot. All the teams give you great matches, not just us, so I don't think it's easy to play there. Afterwards, criticism is normal in this environment. But we have to think only of ourselves, work every day, be 100% and make sure we are always at the best level.”
Of course, with so many new players, the club’s supporters will know that the manager deserves more time to help them perform at their best. Apart from Lionel Messi, PSG also signed another Argentinian in the form of Paredes in 2019 In addition to Lionel Messi, PSG also signed Georginio Wijnaldum, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi and Sergio Ramos in the summer.
With no Lionel Messi, Sergio Agüero and Ángel Di María had previously worn the number 10 shirt for Argentina. It could be Di María wearing it again. https://t.co/oySedOOGGB
Angel Di Maria claimed he had tried to treat the new recruits in the same vein as he himself was treated when he initially moved from Manchester United:
The day I arrived, I felt at home, as if I had been here all my life. I adapted very quickly, very well. Because I had teammates like Pastore, Pocho, Marco, Ibra, Maxwell, Thiago Motta, and they all made my integration easier from day one. Their wives also welcomed my wife. Honestly, everything was much easier for me. So when Paredes came to Paris, or when Leo Messi arrived more recently, we in turn tried to help, give them advice and make them adapt as quickly as possible. I think that's the most important thing, to make them feel comfortable from day one.