"He’s Leo and he will surely turn it around and be at his best" - Leandro Paredes backs Lionel Messi to find form soon at PSG
PSG midfielder Leandro Paredes has backed Lionel Messi to find form at the Ligue 1 outfit soon.
The 34-year-old has had an average start to life at the Parc des Princes. He has scored two league goals in 16 appearances for the Parisian side so far.
But his Argentine teammate Paredes is banking on the legendary forward to soon find form for Les Parisians. He told PSG TV:
“It’s not easy, even for Leo, who is the best in the world, to arrive at a club, to perform and be 100 percent straight away,”
He continued:
“It’s hard to adapt to a new country, a new club, new teammates, after such a long time at another club. But hey, he’s Leo and he will surely turn it around and be at his best.”
His words came following PSG's recent league victory over Lille, in which Messi was instrumental. The former Barcelona forward scored one and assisted another to put forth a man-of-the-match display. PSG went on to win the match 5-1 against the defending Ligue 1 champions.
The Argentine has however, been in good form in the UEFA Champions League. He has scored five goals in five games. With PSG's next game up against Real Madrid, the Parisians will be relying on Messi's magic once again.
Could a return to form for Messi coincide with Champions League success for PSG?
Despite PSG's recent dominance in Ligue 1, barring last season, they have not done well in Europe. The Qatari owners at the club made their ambition to win the Champions League a clear priority but the goal has not been achieved so far.
When Nasser Al-Khelafli purchased the club back in 2011 the onus was on competing amongst Europe's very best. Despite making it to the latter rounds of Europe's biggest club competition in recent times, they are yet to taste Champions League glory.
Their 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich back in the 2019-20 final was the closest the side has come so far.
The Argentina captain's move to the Parc des Princes was seen as the last piece of the PSG puzzle. With talents such as Kylian Mbappe and Neymar ready to play alongside Messi, fans are expecting the Champions League trophy to go to Paris this summer.
The forward's experience in the competition will be crucial should they look to challenge other favorites Manchester City, Liverpool and Bayern Munich.
Real Madrid's obstacle lends itself to a tasty affair with PSG's newest star man being Madrid's kryptonite in recent years.