“MSN is back”, “4-0 masterpiece incoming” – PSG fans thrilled as Christophe Galtier names ‘good XI’ including Lionel Messi after Mbappe misses out due to injury
Lionel Messi will lead the line for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as manager Christophe Gatlier has named an impressive starting XI to face Clermont Foot in their first league game.
The fans are excited about the lineup and have taken to Twitter to share their opinions about it.
New manager Gatlier has decided to go with a 3-4-3 formation, with Neymar and Pablo Sarabia alongside Lionel Messi in the attack. The Argentine forward will likely play in a false nine role, as the team's main striker Kylian Mbappe is out injured.
Behind them in midfield, Marco Verratti and Vitinha will hold the play in midfield, while Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi will handle the left and right flanks respectively. In defense, Presnel Kimpembe, Marquinhos, and Sergio Ramos will hold down the fort in front of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The strong starting lineup had the Paris fans excited about the game, and they took to Twitter to express their delight at the manager's choices. Here is a selection of the tweets from the Parc des Princes faithful:
The first Parisian XI of the #Ligue1 season 👊
#𝗖𝗙𝟲𝟯𝗣𝗦𝗚 https://t.co/BF0bkK9yCk
PSG’s XI vs. Clermont MSN is back 🔥🔥🔥 twitter.com/PSGhub/status/…
🔴🔵 PSG’s XI vs. Clermont
Donnarumma - Marquinhos, Ramos, Kimpembe - Hakimi, Vitinha, Verratti, Mendes - Sarabia, Messi, Neymar.
MSN is back 🔥🔥🔥 twitter.com/PSGhub/status/…
Messi n Ney ball twitter.com/PSGhub/status/…
Messi n Ney ball twitter.com/PSGhub/status/…
@PSGhub @arm2400_ told you sarabia is starting
@PSGhub Good XI
Leo ballll twitter.com/psg_english/st…
PSG fans will be expecting all three points from Lionel Messi and teammates
PSG are expected to start the season on a high, with Gatlier taking on his first game in charge at the Parc des Princes. They will have to play without an injured Mbappe, but it is not expected to matter too much, with Lionel Messi and Neymar in attack.
Although they are playing away from home, Clermont Foot are not expected to provide any major threats to the Ligue 1 winners. However, as underdogs, their dream would be to achieve the unexpected and send the Ligue champions without a single point.
Last season saw the PSG faithful boo their players from the stands after a series of bad performances. Now, with Mauricio Pochettino out of the club, they will be expecting an improvement from Lionel Messi and other players, alongside three points to boot.