Bruges: Lionel Messi came to Paris to win the Champions League again and on Wednesday he is set to finally make his first start for his new club when they kick off their European campaign in Bruges.
Five weeks have passed since Messi was presented as a Paris Saint-Germain player and declared he was in “the ideal place” to win the biggest prize in club football for the fifth time. In more than a month he has been seen in a PSG jersey for just 24 minutes as a substitute in a Ligue 1 game at Reims.
The 34-year-old had been expected to make his full debut for the Qatar-owned club last weekend but in the end he was rested against Clermont after returning from international duty with Argentina. However, PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino is expected to finally unleash the six-time Ballon d’Or winner from the start at the Jan Breydel Stadium against Belgian champions Club Brugge in the Group A opener.
If Neymar and Kylian Mbappe start too, it will be the first time the superstar attacking trio will have been on the pitch together for the Parisians.
Expectations are sky-high, both for Messi at his new club and for PSG in the Champions League, a trophy they have yet to win but crave more than anything. PSG will play Abu Dhabibacked Manchester City - the team that knocked them out in last season’s semi-finals - as well as RB Leipzig in a group that could hardly have been tougher, but this is a team built to go all the way.
They should, at the very least, be far too strong for their first opponents, even if the former European Cup finalists have been Belgian champions in three of the last four seasons. The last time PSG went to Bruges was in the group stage two years ago. There was no Messi then, and there was no Neymar either, but Mbappe bagged a hat-trick in a 5-0 win.
この記事は The Times of India Hyderabad の September 15, 2021 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は The Times of India Hyderabad の September 15, 2021 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Tollywood was happy hunting turf for conman
Kept Database Of Mobile Nos. Of Film Celebs
State-funded Metro to chug into RGIA in 3 yrs
Residents’ Plea To KTR To Extend Other Rail Lines
Rajiv Makhni becomes the face of smart tech luggage with proximity indicator
The VIP SmarTech series, a range of smart travel gear, keeps you connected with your luggage via your smartphone
I want to reach out to Samantha and tell her that if I can make it, so can you, says Vikram Bhatt
The filmmaker opens up about his 18-year-long battle with fibromyalgia, a chronic disorder that causes widespread muscle pain
Rain ruins second ODI
The match was reduced to 29-overs-a-side as the first interruption caused a four-hour break. India were 22 for no loss in the fifth over at that time.
Croatia come in hard, show Canada the exit
After their dour opening draw with Morocco had instigated a post-mortem into whether this Croatia side lacked a killer instinct, Kramaric and Marko Livaja found the net before the break to take the wind out of Canada’s sails.
Denmark calls on Euro 2020, Eriksen experience
Denmark has been here before.
Ronaldo targets KO berth
Win Vs Uruguay Will Help Portugal Advance With A Game To Spare
Govt doubles large aircraft wet lease period to 1 yr
Accordingly, IndiGo can now wet lease two twin aisles to operate flights between Delhi/Mumbai and Istanbul for a year.
Deuba's party emerges as single largest party in poll
Elections to the House of Representatives and seven provincial assemblies were held on November 20.
