“Messi can’t relate” – Fans react to treatment received by 34-year-old PSG star at Parc des Princes during win over Metz
Paris Saint-Germain ended their campaign on a high note, beating Metz 5-0 in their final Ligue 1 game of the season that featured a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe and a heartfelt farewell to a departing star.
Although Lionel Messi managed an assist for PSG, he was unable to find the scoresheet once again. However, it was Angel Di Maria, with his brilliant return of one goal and one assist, who won the admiration of the fans at the Parc des Princes in his final game for the club.
With Di Maria's contract set to end this summer, he finished his last game at the club on a high with a strong performance.
Taking to Twitter, football fans reacted to Di Maria's goal as the star broke down in tears after scoring his final goal after a seven-year stint in Paris. Here is a selection of tweets:
Di Maria crying, we all crying.
🏼
So happy for Di Maria. A true Legend of the game. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼❤️
Di Maria getting the farewell he deserves, Messi can't relate.
Fuck this the whole night I’m gonna spend watching Di Maria highlights
@PSGhub What a beautiful way to end his stay ✨❤️
Beautiful scenesPSG ultras are dedicating chants especially for Di Maria 😍 Beautiful scenes
Just given Di Maria a standing ovation in my living room #🫶🏻
I’m so much more upset than I was when cavani and silva left, what a legend Di Maria is💔
Di Maria enjoyed a lengthy career with the Parisians, appearing in 295 games and contributing 93 goals and 119 assists. When he was substituted off in the 74th minute, his teammates formed a guard of honor for the Argentine, while Parc des Princes erupted in a standing ovation.
Ángel Di María receives a standing ovation and guard of honour from his PSG teammates as he exits the Parc des Princes pitch for the last time ❤️ https://t.co/lkzyiPubRj
Should Lionel Messi leave PSG?
So far, it's been a bittersweet season for the Argentine attacker in the French capital, where he has struggled to perform optimally since his Camp Nou exit.
Although he joined his teammates at the Parc des Princes last summer, Messi only managed to score his first Ligue 1 goal in late November last year. His goalscoring was better in the Champions League, scoring five in just seven games, but it didn't help that PSG were knocked out by Real Madrid in the Round of 16.
But while his inability to hit the back of the net regularly was a source of concern, Messi maintained a vibrant presence in the final third with his playmaking efforts. Fourteen assists from 24 Ligue 1 starts is rather impressive, and much of it is thanks to Kylian Mbappe, whose goalscoring put the Parisians on top of Ligue 1.
However, it falls short of Angel di Maria's record of 18 Ligue 1 assists back in the 2015-16 season. Di Maria also managed 14 league assists in 2019-20, which only shows that Messi hasn't turned any heads with his performances in Paris.
Bar the last seven games, where he has returned four goals, Lionel Messi hasn't been at his Blaugrana-best with PSG, and he may continue to find it difficult next season.
It might be in the star's best interests to leave the Parisians and head back to Camp Nou, or perhaps to the MLS. If he is to remain in Paris, he will need to improve on his current goalscoring form and become a force to be reckoned with in Ligue 1.