"It is a very difficult competition to win because it is not always won by the best team” – Lionel Messi appears to take brutal swipe at Real Madrid with Champions League verdict
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Lionel Messi has taken a dig at Real Madrid over how they won the UEFA Champions League last season.
Carlo Ancelotti's side lifted the European title for a 14th time with a 1-0 final win over Liverpool in the final back in May.
It was an enthralling journey to the trophy for Los Blancos, which saw them stage memorable comeback victories over Chelsea and Manchester City en route.
Real Madrid also knocked out Lionel Messi's PSG with a devastating second-leg 3-1 win over the Parisiens.
However, Messi seems to have taken issue with how Madrid secured their Round of 16 triumph over PSG last season.
He told Mexican TV station TUDN (via Liverpool Echo):
“The elimination last season was very hard because of how it happened, because we played two great games against Real Madrid and the tie was lost in small details."
PSG were in control of the Round of 16 tie after Kylian Mbappe's first-leg winner in a 1-0 victory.
The Frenchman scored a first-half strike in the second-leg which put the Ligue 1 side in pole position to advance to the quarter-finals.
However, a phenomenal Karim Benzema hat-trick shocked the Parisiens and saw them exit the competition earlier than expected.
Messi is eyeing Champions League glory following last season's disappointment:
"This is not a typical year, because the World Cup is in between the games, but the main objective of PSG, like every year, is to be able to compete for the Champions League."
He continued by hinting at his feelings over Madrid's 2021-22 Champions League glory:
"It is a very difficult competition to win because it is not always won by the best team, it is always decided by small details, any mistake leaves you out of a tie, but we are preparing ourselves for when those hard moments come, to be up to the task."
A Karim Benzema masterclass! 🥵
Relive the Real Madrid talisman's hat-trick vs PSG 🔥🔥🔥
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Lionel Messi eyes European glory but Real Madrid are still a problem
PSG have started the 2022-23 campaign in impressive fashion and are currently unbeaten in all competitions.
Lionel Messi has been at his best following a year of adaptation in the French capital.
The Argentine has bagged six goals and contributed eight assists in 11 appearances so far.
New record for Messi 🔝
#UCL https://t.co/Bknf9PIBmo
It bodes well for Christophe Galtier's side, who have started their Champions League campaign off with wins over Juventus (2-1) and Maccabi Haifa (3-1).
Meanwhile, Real Madrid are proving their worth as Champions League holders, having started their new season with a 100% winning record.
Los Blancos have beaten Celtic 3-0 and RB Leipzig 2-0 in Europe and will be looking to successfully defend their crown next summer.