"Messi will cook these bums", "Masterclass incoming" - Fans back PSG's Lionel Messi to 'turn up tonight' against Bayern and score 800th career goal
A cross-section of football fans on social media are backing Lionel Messi to give a standout performance for PSG when they take on Bayern Munich.
Both teams will be in action tonight (March 8) for the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie, which will take place at the Allianz Arena.
Recall that Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich secured a 1-0 victory over PSG during the first leg of their encounter last month in France.
Former Les Parisiens forward Kingsley Koman scored the only goal for Bayern, who came out on top.
However, it is expected to still be very much open for any of the two teams to secure qualification into the next round of the competition.
Ahead of the second-leg clash, most football fans will probably be rooting for PSG to turnaround the tie and qualify. This is also largely influenced by the 'Lionel Messi factor'.
The Argentine forward is currently among a host of high-profile players on parade for PSG against their German opponents tonight.
#UCL
JoΓ£o Cancelo, on the bench again.
Official line ups for Bayern-PSG π¨π #UCL
β JoΓ£o Cancelo, on the bench again.
β Hakimi and Nuno Mendes both start. https://t.co/NT6NqldNGo
Fans on Twitter are already tipping the 35-year-old star to lead the comeback for Les Parisiens against Bayern Munich.
One fan with the handle @O_dunayo tweeted "Messi Masterclass incoming" with two emojis. Another was of the opinion that PSG stars should pass the ball to the Argentine football star in a bid to make a difference.
Meanwhile, some other fans on Twitter are also hoping that the PSG star scores his 800th career goal against Bayern Munich. It is a record that Lionel Messi can achieve should he get on the score sheet at any point in the game.
A fan with the handle @Zagreb_dynamo tweeted, "Messi 800th tonight." Here are a couple of tweets backing the 2022 FIFA World Cup-winner to impress for PSG against Bayern.
@TheEuropeanLad Messi Masterclass incoming ππ
@TheEuropeanLad Just pass the ball to Messi ππ
@TheEuropeanLad messi will COOK these bumsπ
@TheEuropeanLad All i want messi hit today his 800th https://t.co/Wv3WH1zq8d
@TheEuropeanLad Messi 800th tonight
Messi masterclass incomingπ https://t.co/ONzbYTBb7p
@Naija_PR Messi will net great screamer goal tonight.
Messi!! Turn up tonight π
Lionel Messi has so far scored a total of 18 goals across all competitions for PSG this season. Four of those goals have come in this season's UEFA Champions League competition.
It's left to be seen as to whether the Argentine veteran will find his goal-scoring touch against Bayern tonight and help PSG qualify for the next round.
Julian Nagelsmann reveals how his side can stop Lionel Messi's PSG team in the second-leg
Ahead of their mouth-watering second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 clash, head coach of Bayern Munich has provided a hint on how to stop PSG.
The German tactician revealed that most of it will depend on how his team neutralizes the pace of Christophe Galtier's team.:
"They (PSG) need at least one goal to level it up. I expect them to apply a lot of pressure from the start.
He continued:
"Both we and PSG have enormous pace in attack. We want to get at them when they take possession and be physically present from the first minute. What we need in the second leg is to prevent them from using their pace.β
βIf you give their attackers too much space and they can unleash their footballing qualities, itβs incredibly difficult to defend.
Meanwhile, PSG will be without Neymar, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to an injury. However, the French club still has the likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe to draw inspiration from against Bayern.