Lionel Messi failed to provide Paris St Germain with any sparkle as the Ligue 1 team's potent attacking trio lacked inspiration in a disappointing 1-1 draw at Club Brugge in their Champions League opener on Wednesday.In his debut with the French team, the Argentine forward managed to surpass him, but he was far from his brilliant best next to the disappointing Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, who set up Ander Herrera for PSG's first-half opener before being replaced injured after the break.Brugge, who levelled before halftime through Hans Vanaken, were more powerful and had the best chances against a PSG that lacks quality and defensive focus.The result left Paris Saint-Germain and Bruges two points behind Group A leaders Manchester City after the Premier League champions crushed RB Leipzig 6-3."We didn't play a fantastic game but to be fair we did enough to win, we deserved to win," said Herrera."Maybe they had opportunities at the beginning of the second half but I think we controlled the match, we had a lot of chances."Also Read- Lionel Messi surpasses Pele's goalscoring record, leads Argentina to win in World Cup qualifiersBrugge keeper Simon Mignolet disagreed."I didn't have a lot of work, I just pulled a couple of saves. We played as a compact side, it was the right approach," the Belgian said.With Messi, Neymar and Mbappe together on the pitch for the first time, PSG made a confident start but Brugge responded well.FULL-TIME: Club Brugge 1-1 @PSG_English The points are shared on Matchday 1 of the @ChampionsLeague. #UCL | #CLUPSG pic.twitter.com/P3EVbjqQxP— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) September 15, 2021Mbappe broke the left flank and his low cross was met by Herrera, and opened the scoring in the 15th minute with a low shot to score his fourth goal this season-his third goal in the last two games.Messi set up Mbappe, who went close in the 23rd minute with an angled shot that was deflected by Mignolet but PSG were lulled into a false sense of security.Also Read- LaLiga will not be weakened by Lionel Messi's exit, says ex-Real Madrid player Fernando Morientes
Paris Saint-Germain head coach Mauricio Pochettino admitted that his star-studded squad is still under construction, on the eve of hosting Manchester City in their Group A match in Paris on Tuesday.Pochettino remained evasive about who is PSG first-choice goalkeeper and whether Keylor Navas or new signing Gianluigi Donnarumma will start against City.Up front, Pochettino expects Lionel Messi to return in attack as the Argentine shakes off a minor knee injury that sidelined him for two games. Messi's last Champions League goal for Barcelona came against Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes in last season's last-16. He had a penalty saved in that game by Navas.Paris Saint-Germain opened their Champions League campaign with a disappointing 1-1 draw with Club Brugge two weeks ago.Also Read- Virat Kohli to quit RCB captaincy after the end of IPL 2021 season
Lionel Messi scored his first Paris Saint-German goal in the French club's 2-0 win over visiting Manchester City while Luxembourg midfielder Sébastien Thill struck late for Sheriff to stun 13-time champion Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday. Messi, who joined PSG on a two-year contract after leaving Barcelona, found the top corner superbly in the second half to add to Idrissa Gueye's early first-half opener and put the capital club top of Group A on four points. Luis Suárez also struck late as his injury-time penalty gave Atlético Madrid a 2-1 win at 10-man AC Milan. Club Brügge and Liverpool also claimed away wins at Leipzig and Porto, respectively.Messi scores maiden goal for PSG After two games, City are third on three points after their first defeat in a group stage game since 2018 ended an 18-match unbeaten run, a point behind PSG and Club Brugge, who won 2-1 at RB Leipzig. Real Madrid slumped to a 2-1 defeat by Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol in the Champions League on Tuesday as the visitors pulled off one of the biggest shocks in the competition's history with a stunning 89th-minute strike from Sebastien Thill. Spanish champion Atlético were second best for long periods at Group B rival Milan. Luis Suarez's stoppage-time penalty and Antoine Griezmann's first goal since returning to Atletico Madrid earned the Spanish side a 2-1 victory over 10-man AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday. On the other hand, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino both struck twice and Sadio Mane once in a 5-1 drubbing of the Portuguese champions to seize control of Champions' League Group B.Also Read- Messi may return for PSG against Manchester City in UCL
Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have produced some unforgettable moments on the football pitch and surprisingly they have been doing that consistently for more than 15 years now. The duo have won a combined total of 11 Ballon d'Or's, which is an award of high prestige, while numerous star footballers have missed out on the prestigious award because of the domination from Messi and Ronaldo. Interestingly, year 2021 has proved out to be full of surprises for both the footballing greats. Lionel Messi has left FC Barcelona and now plays for Paris Saint-Germain due to Barcelona's financial problems. The 33-year-old Argentine is currently struggling in his new club with injuries coming into play and a change of role in terms of positioning. No one deserved the 2021 Ballon d'Or more than Lionel Messi pic.twitter.com/1ZGJGsbVg0— Ishan (@LionelFutbol) November 5, 2021However, 2021 is not that bad season for Lionel Messi as before joining PSG, the little magician won Copa America with Argentina and scored 30 goals in 35 matches in La Liga for his former club FC Barcelona. However, Messi is yet to score a league goal for PSG, but has scored 3 goals for the French club in the Champions League. Messi won 34 club career trophies with FC Barcelona, including 10 La Liga titles and 4 Champions League titles. In addition, he has won the Ballon d'Or for a record six times which is the most by any player ever to play football. On the other hand, Cristiano Ronaldo once again impressed with his return to Manchester United new now, as the striker has time and again saved the Red Devils' blushes by scoring crucial goals. Cristiano Ronaldo ~ The Most Clutch Player this sport has ever witnessed pic.twitter.com/EYaSks49N4— Paarth (@paarthblanco) November 2, 2021Ronaldo took no time to get off the mark and after returning to England, the 36-year-old has so far scored 9 goals from the 11 matches he has played. In the process, he even became the top scorer in three different big leagues England, Spain and Italy, thus creating a new record. Christian Ronaldo scored 29 goals for Juventus in Serie A and also become Portugal's top scorer with 111 goals for his country in 2021. The rivalry between these two can define a whole era and decade of football. Who's better? It's an endless debate with too many opinions from too many people but one thing is for sure that Ronaldo and Messi will go down as two of the greatest footballers that the world has ever witnessed.Also Read- Rohit Sharma named India T20I captain for New Zealand series
