The Truth About Lionel Messi's First Season At PSG

Chance for Messi! How fitting it is, and it could be his goal that wins the title for Paris Saint-Germain. We start with one of the most significant transfers in the history of football. Lionel Messi has tonight signed for Paris Saint-Germain, officially ending his 21-year stay at Barcelona. Perhaps he's standing with PSG fans, have been in jubilant mood, even turning up at the airport yesterday in case Messi arrived then. But many thought they would never see Lionel Messi wearing a football club shirt that didn't belong to Barcelona. And he will wear the number 30, the number he had when he made his debut at Barcelona. I would like to present Lionel Messi as Paris Saint-Germain player. Lionel Messi! Messi bumped off the ball, gets through the first challenge, and then rifles through the second. Messi at his best. Shaking off perfectly, Lionel Messi. Classic quintessential run from Messi. It was the only way they were going to stop him. Messi, what a 2-2 run for Messi in the first half. But he gets it back again there. Looked at the batter's side of Lionel Messi. It'll touch back to him! Oh, and there's the first goal! The Parc des Princes throws! And a little genius with a wonderful goal! Absolutely stunning goal. Perfection quality. And it goes towards Mbappé. Chance for PSG, and they score! And that's what they can do when the three of them get involved like that. Anything is possible. It's the moment that they've been waiting for for weeks and weeks. Messi, beautifully done. On his right foot. Wonderful though to see that Messi trick. The trick we've been watching for almost 20 years now, but the defenders still buy it. Messi again, this time maybe. Messi's done it! There's the goal! Brilliant mid-time challenge by Bockman, but he makes a present hit to Messi. Oh, Leo Messi at his very, very best. That is a super finish. Mid-half support arriving, but Messi is going to go for goal! And scores superbly! Lionel pushing forward, Messi a little show-and-tell. Tripped up just outside the end. Messi twisting and turning and finding some space. Hits it back again from Hakimi. Wonderful balance, wonderful technique. Passing to the line for Di Maria. Isolated, and he's not going to miss from there! Now it's back to Messi, he's looking to dance his way through. Lionel Messi, support arriving in the shape of Kylian Mbappe! He's getting wrestled. He wrestles, he rolls, he just carries on, does Messi. Walking pace, Messi. Oh wow, away from Abidjan, a robot that he is there. Messi. His control is just sensational. Messi, off the frame of the goal. Mbappe on the follow-up. Chance for Messi! Messi gets in initially, shows great balance and strength here. And he's on the move, it's Lionel Messi. And then the challenge does come in, and the yellow card has flourished. Yeah, a little nutmeg in there from Messi. Messi, oh that's delightful. A quite sensational PSG goal. Messi, for Mbappe, Mbappe's shot, it's gone in! Messi. But he finds Neymar, stops, cuts, buries it into the back of the corner as he comes in for you. A little shimmy, and then the pass towards Neymar. Messi, shots on for Messi. No, he's seen him, that kind of runs so often, he's come with big games during this glorious career of his. You almost take it for granted that he could create space for himself like that. Messi, Messi getting away from his man. Just looked for a moment as though he was going to open up. Just incredible, Mbappe, who gives it to Messi, Messi, cross to the back of the net! And Lionel Messi's goal! And Messi has the chance to bend it, bends it, 2-0. And your understanding with Lionel Messi seems to be getting better all the time. It's easy to play with Lionel Messi, he's the best player in the world, he won the Ballon d'Or a few days ago, he scored two goals today, he's happy and I hope he will help us in the future. Smiles between Neymar and Mbappe, and even Lionel Messi joins himself too. And Messi with impudence and certainty. You've got to be good to take a penalty like that. He is pretty good. So Messi with the left-footed approach against Puka. And it's saved by Courtois! It's a really good challenge, it's not clear yet, Verratti plays it back in, Mbappe was in there, and in the end it falls for Thibaut Courtois but he's getting desperate. Pressure on Donnarumma, Benzema caused it, here's Vinicius, it's carried, Benzema, and they're back in it! What a night, what a story! Who's Lionel Messi? Never thought you'd hear that too often from fans of his teams. It's Neymar, it's over. Messi, Neymar. Do we underestimate what it takes to go from being legendary in one team to then finding your place in the next team? I don't think that people underestimate it, they just don't care. No, I'm being honest. They expect the best always from Leo, they expect the best from people. When you serve people caviar all the time and suddenly you don't give them that, people don't care that you move, people don't care about your kids adapting, people don't care about your wife adapting, people don't care about you adapting, about changing the style of play. He didn't want to leave, it's tough. I went through the same thing when I left Arsenal, it was difficult, I was going through some personal stuff also. It took a little while and people just do not care. And I think it's right sometimes that we need to remind people that this guy is human, and it takes time, even though he's been one of the best, if not, people will argue, the best that we have seen. That's given away though by Marquinhos, intercepted by Toni Kroos and onto Modric. Messi tracking back, no foul. Messi that gets back and makes the tackle here, just makes a little tackle there, it's rolling beautifully. Karim Benzema and they were swarming around him and of all people it was Lionel Messi back there to take it off him. Waiting inside the box when they go short. That was not the expectation. Strong play by Messi defensively holding off. Messi sliding it through for Kylian Mbappé gets it all wrong. Mbappé gets in behind, Carvajal! Verratti, Messi, Mbappé! Messi. Lovely touch towards Mbappé! Back for Messi, into the corner and Icardi. Messi, what will he do? Sweeps it in, deflected away. Maybe missed it. Oh my God, Icardi needs to do better. People need to start to respect what the guy has done and not even talk about him. Please, what are we talking about? We're talking about Lionel Messi. What he's done for football, what he has done for Barcelona, he's second to none. Sometimes some guys push the ball by me and I walked. It wasn't because of desire. Sometimes I was tired. Sometimes I just couldn't do it. My brain wasn't following. It can happen or not happen. How can you question the desire of Lionel Messi? It's what you said. The day he leaves the game is going to be the saddest day and we're going to really forget about that. Just enjoy the guy up until his death. Stop complaining about stuff that he doesn't do. Play to watch football because of him. So Lionel Messi just needs to be at the top of his game.