Lionel Messi stepped in Paris on August 10 and signed for Paris Saint-German. PSG fans were delighted with the news but they didn’t expect that Lionel Messi would remain goalless for three months in the French League Ligue 1.
However, in the Champions League, Lionel Messi has scored 3 goals in the 3 games he played against big teams like Manchester City and RB Leipzig. Clearly, a sign that the change of league and country has even affected the Argentine who is feared by almost every opposition.
Lionel Messi’s 2021 – A class apartpic.twitter.com/DIFc8ksScE
— A (@TotaILM10i) November 6, 2021
When was the last time Messi didn’t score a goal for 3 months?
The last time Lionel Messi waited this long for a domestic goal was the 2019-2020 season with FC Barcelona but that was due to injury. Since the time Lionel Messi was 18, he’s always had the eyes of the world on him and even the fans who didn’t support his club, watched his games just to see the little superstar’s magic.
What has Lionel Messi said about the change in terms of football?
“Ligue 1 is a more physical league, where games are hotly contested, where there is a lot of back and forth, The players are strong and fast. Physically, it changes a lot. In Spain, all the teams try to play a lot more and they keep the ball from you if you don’t press well. The biggest difference, though, is physically.” Messi told sport.
If we look closely at the glorious career that Lionel Messi has had so far, this is just the time when he’ll again turn the tables around and get into the magical form he’s been performing for the past 15 years.
Different responsibilities Lionel Messi has faced since joining PSG.
Given the fact it’s only been 3 months since his arrival to the club, you cannot expect a player to perform wonders for you even if it’s Lionel Messi. The change in conditions, team-mates and opposition at least takes half-season (6 months) for the player to adapt and do good without injuries.
Messi has only played 6 league games out of PSG’s 12. His debut against Reims was goalless, as he was out of action for 2 months only playing Copa America. It’s just a matter of time that Messi gets in the flow of regular game-time again and adapts to his role in the new team.
In FC Barcelona, Lionel Messi played as a proper number 10 with freedom from the coach to play his natural game and help his team in whatever manner he wants to. The six-time Ballon d’Or winner usually played in the central position dragging opposition players to himself and creating space for other teammates. In PSG, it’s a different story as he has to play on the Right-Wing alongside Neymar on left and Kylian Mbappe in the centre.
This is also the first time Messi is playing for another club instead of FC Barcelona, his stats are proof of him struggling to adapt given his standards. Messi’s count of chance creation, shots and touches of the ball in the game has decreased since his arrival at PSG.
The Argentine’s fans would be expecting the player to be fit again soon and score goals as easily as he’s used to for the past 15 years. Notably, Messi is currently injured and in doubt whether he will play for Argentina during the international break.
