• Overall disappointing last season despite completely honest statistics, Lionel Messi is making a start to the season worthy of his seven-time Ballon d'Or status.

  • This Wednesday, he offered two superb assists to his attacking friends Neymar and Kylian Mbappé.

  • With a Messi at this level, PSG can approach the Champions League with confidence next Tuesday against Juventus.

At the Toulouse Stadium,

There were no surprises this Wednesday evening in Toulouse.

PSG, champion of Ligue 1, dominated the champion of Ligue 2, who nevertheless defended his skin nicely in an incandescent stadium (0-3).

The TFC has long done better than resist, thanks to an aggressive tactic developed by Philippe Montanier: “We had to close the axis while controlling the pistons, deciphers the coach of the promoted.

Having a defense of three [Rouault-Nicolaisen-Diarra] allowed the centrals to come out very high.

»

But the talent finally spoke and goalkeeper Maxime Dupé, stratospheric with his nine saves, was ironic in the mixed zone when it was pointed out to him that the Violets' good match had nevertheless ended in a clear defeat.

“Is it us who are not at the level or they who are too strong for Ligue 1?

»

For Lionel Messi, the question is quickly answered.

No wonder to see a seven-time Ballon d'Or unlock a game (courtesy VAR) of an opening love for a Neymar on fire since the start of the season, after a nice combination with Marco Verratti and Kylian Mbappé (38th).

Except that the first Parisian year of the former Barcelona idol had something to question about the nature of the second.

The balance sheet was far from infamous for a 34-year-old striker (he has 35 since June): 11 goals (including 6 in L1) and 15 assists in 34 games in all competitions.

Acceleration like in the beautiful Catalan era

But, beyond the statistics, the contrast was clear with his best Catalan years, between an often questionable body language and a propensity to walk, not new, but which had clearly increased.

To the point of sometimes giving the impression that PSG had recruited the Argentinian cousin of Yoann Diniz, rather than the elusive elf from Camp Nou.

To tell the truth, we no longer thought the Albiceleste captain capable of a thrust like the one that allowed him to offer, from a perfectly set back cross, a new offering, this time to Mbappé, on the second Parisian goal (50th).

“The “MNM”?

We can only be satisfied with their performances: Ney and Kilian score, Messi offers two assists”, savored Christophe Galtier afterwards, who knows that he has in his hands a cocktail as rare as it is explosive, to be handled with extreme precaution.

The Argentinian had made a funny face which had inspired Twitter during his outing on Sunday, against Monaco (1-1).

If he was again replaced at the Stadium (by Hakimi in the 83rd) after seeing Dupé prevent him from improving his stats despite some exquisite initiatives, it is rather the image of a Neymar not delighted-delighted with bend the saplings from the 68th minute that we will remember.

The Mbappé - Messi - Neymar trio involved in 17 goals in L1 🇫🇷 since the start of the season!



WHAT A THREESOME 🤯 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BKuaYKyxSv

— Footballogue⭐️⭐️ (@Footballogue) August 31, 2022

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“No one is ever happy to go out but I thought that after a very good match on his part it was the right time for Ney, plays down Galtier.

Same for Leo.

They are informed and it is also a way to make our workforce exist.

Of course, we won't know what Messi thought of his replacement.

With Marco Verratti (very good this Wednesday too) he was one of the first to cross Toulouse's mixed zone dare-dare, without a word, to join the bus on the forecourt, in front of a crowd screaming his name and within which there were not only PSG supporters.

Ditto among the dozen people who stood up in front of our press box, phone in hand, when one of the best players of all time was recalled to the bench by Galtier.

You never know: the "Pulga" may have delivered its one and only recital at the Stadium.

The Ballon d'Or snub

With three goals and four assists in five games, Messi seems set for a season worthy of his rank, after having already finished the previous one with a bang with his selection.

Insufficient to escape the snub, since he was not, logically, on the list of 30 nominated for the Ballon d'Or.

A nice World Cup coupled with a long run in the Champions League should allow him to wash away the affront next year.

And if he can delight us on the way through our friendly Ligue 1 stadiums before returning to Barcelona or crossing the Atlantic, we also take it, of course.

Toulouse FC - PSG: The Parisians resume their march forward by easily beating Toulouse ... The match to relive live

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  • Sport

  • Soccer

  • Paris-Saint-Germain (PSG)

  • Lionel Messi

  • Toulouse Football Club (TFC)

  • League 1