The PSG players have in the week leading up to the Barcelona game taken turns to say they’d love to play with Lionel Messi.
I mean, who wouldn’t? The future of the Barcelona icon has dominated the build up to the tie. The greatest player the world has ever seen is leaving Barcelona come the summer.
Considering the money it would take to sign him, only PSG and Manchester City are genuine contenders.
Tuesday’s game between PSG and Barcelona is a game between two teams desperate for European glory.
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Barcelona haven’t won the Champions League since 2015. As Messi himself puts it, it is the ‘beautiful and sought after trophy’.
So sought after in fact, that the Qatari investment in Paris is an expensive mission to claim it. However, Paris failed to progress past the last 16 stage in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The fact they finally reached the final last year only to lose to Bayern will motivate them even more.
Mauricio Pochettinos’ team could have the edge in this one. For a start, Barcelona is currently a trainwreck. Their greatest ever player, the one who made them what they are today, is about to leave. His departure will have ramifications for years to come and it’s anyone’s guess as to how Barca transition away from him.
As well as that, the club is in huge debt. They could realistically hit the wall. The uncertainty and toxicity in Catalonia might be too inhibiting, even for Messi.
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Usually by this time, Paris Saint Germain have won the French league. That they haven’t this year speaks to an underperforming team. However, it could work in their favor. Having won the league already makes it difficult to produce the intensity required to beat Europe’s best teams.
The fact they are still competing in earnest week to week could have them better prepared than they have ever been.
