Lionel Messi has scored his first goal as a Paris Saint-Germain player in their Champions League group-stage match against Manchester City on Tuesday night, and several English pundits hailed the former Barcelona captain afterwards.
Gary Lineker was one of the journalists to praise Messi, as he pointed the Argentine's critics towards his impressive record in games against Premier League sides.
"Messi has scored his 27th goal against a Premier League opponent in 35 matches," said Lineker.
"All of them in the Champions League and against the Big Six. And they said he couldn't play here."
Messi expressed his joy after netting his first PSG goal and stressed that he will gel with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in attack soon.
"I wanted to score my first goal," Messi told Canal+.
"I am getting used to the team. The more the three of us play together, the better our relationship will be."
In fact, Mbappe was the player who teed up Messi to score PSG's second goal against the Sky Blues, just an hour before Neymar uploaded a picture of the attacking trident on social media.
"It is the first time Messi has changed clubs," noted Mauricio Pochettino after the game.
"He feels different things, new emotions..."
Messi was linked with a move to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City last summer, when several critics questioned whether the Argentine would be able to adapt to the physical demands of the Premier League.
"Leo can't be contained for 90 minutes," stressed Guardiola.
"He has just overcome an injury and lacks a bit of rhythm, but when he has the ball he is unstoppable."
Messi has now scored seven goals in five games against his former coach, Guardiola, with Manchester City being his second-favourite Premier League victim behind Arsenal (nine goals).
"He always appears on the big occasions and against Guardiola," said former England player Owen Hargreaves.
"He's one of the greatest."
Meanwhile, Rio Ferdinand claimed that even superstars such as Messi need time to adapt to their new teams.
"Messi being the superstar he is, with him and Cristiano [Ronaldo] taking the game to new levels in this time, even today at times he was on the periphery of the game," Ferdinand said on BT Sport.
"He wasn't integral to everything that was going on like at Barcelona, because he's at a new club and feeling his way into it.
"Even superstars have to do that. Then you see the celebration, that's relief. He's not as animated normally."
Nandha77
691
Lionel Messi is scored 27 goals against English clubs, Messi has never player in Premier League 👏🐐
satyaballa
557
now tell pundits what will happen if he played in EPL..
FootballChief
543
Messi would definitely survive in EPL, but let’s imagine Ronaldo playing in Ligue 1
akpanga
434
His 1 goal for PSG is better than all Ronaldo goals for Manchester United.. What a goal it was Messi remain the greatest footballer of all time
Desmondeyum
372
🗣Leo Messi (THE GOAT) has just won the UEFA Goal of The Week🔥 It’s just the beginning, We don’t do the talking but performances will speak for us
Mohammed_Sh
306
Messi is the OWNER of MANCHESTER! So shut up please ENGLISH pundits!🤫
Desmondeyum
304
Liverpool players just love Lionel Messi🙌
GodOfFootball7
265
You may be a hater of one of the GOATs but nobody can disagree to the fact that they have been delivering great performances since more than a decade and they still continue to deliver. 🐐 🐐
ManUtdAmadDialo
223
I have always said this, ND i wil say It again. There's only one🐐 ND that's Messi
Nandha77
187
Never Doubt Lionel Messi, I REPEAT NEVER! 🐐
Munchu08
90
Messi would definitely survive in EPL, but let’s imagine Ronaldo playing in Ligue 1
[image]
Messi had not played in EPL and scored lot more goals against EPL in UCL. Let’s imagine Messi in EPL [Crylaugh][Crylaugh][Crylaugh]
Haweinps
16
Lmao . Your stats mean nothing. . Messi needs great players around him to make him look good. He won’t be doing this in the EPL day in and out. Ronaldo doing it in he’s retirement.
so Ronaldo need local player to make history right?? you are one of the brainless fool around
Hundikmouz
15
Lmao . Your stats mean nothing. . Messi needs great players around him to make him look good. He won’t be doing this in the EPL day in and out. Ronaldo doing it in he’s retirement.
tell me why Ronaldo didn't continue with juventus?
Hundikmouz
13
You nailed it man. Messi can definitely play in EPl but he won’t last. Plus he won’t be scoring as he wishes. He needs great players around him to make him look good. Lmao 🤣 😂🤣 this is so true that it’s funny. Messi fans like to be ignorant about the truth. Look at Fonte who was avarage in the EPL and went on to win a trophy in league 1.
how about kante who was a nobody in ligue1 but dominating EPL midfield
pulkit_10
12
Lmao . Your stats mean nothing. . Messi needs great players around him to make him look good. He won’t be doing this in the EPL day in and out. Ronaldo doing it in he’s retirement.
yes ronaldo is doing it with local players like Bruno,Pogba,Sancho,lingard, greenwood,de gea,varane, Maguire,Shaw what a relegation team
pulkit_10
11
don't post fake ones🙂
it isn't fake there is a youtube video u can watch it when u have time
Fresh77
10
Messi would definitely survive in EPL, but let’s imagine Ronaldo playing in Ligue 1
[image]
You nailed it man. Messi can definitely play in EPl but he won’t last. Plus he won’t be scoring as he wishes. He needs great players around him to make him look good. Lmao 🤣 😂🤣 this is so true that it’s funny. Messi fans like to be ignorant about the truth. Look at Fonte who was avarage in the EPL and went on to win a trophy in league 1.
Hundikmouz
9
at what age was kante in ligue 1??? better think before posting rubbish.... we all know players get better with age and get worse with age as well
comparing player from different league has nothing to do with their performance the likes of neymar from Brazil league to Europe, Ruben dias to mention few and look at bale,coutinho, hazard these are classy players in EPL but perform below average in a different league, Bernardo silva of Monaco fired man city to EPL champion and was awarded their player of the year, so you've highly underrated messi because of your affection for Ronaldo but that doesn't reduce his status anyway.
akpanga
8
His 1 goal for PSG is better than all Ronaldo goals for Manchester United.. What a goal it was Messi remain the greatest footballer of all time
A player who never comes to midfield to help players or create chances for other players to score he always stay in the 18 yard box waiting for someone to do the dirty works for him to score and some people call him the greatest footballer[Crylaugh][Crylaugh] MESSI the one and only goat 🐐
akpanga
8
His 1 goal for PSG is better than all Ronaldo goals for Manchester United.. What a goal it was Messi remain the greatest footballer of all time
Ronaldo is the best while Messi is the greatest