Messi meets Guardiola: Familiar friends become foes

This week's Champions League matchday throws up arguably the most intriguing meeting of the competition so far this season as Pep Guardiola takes his Manchester City side away to face Paris Saint-Germain.

The Catalan coach will come up against a familiar face in Paris in Lionel Messi. But more than being his former player, the Argentine is someone who could well have found himself working under Guardiola again this past summer.

As it became clear that Messi would not be able to sign a new contract at Barcelona, there weren't many clubs who could have hoped to sign him. PSG were one of those, and Manchester City were perhaps the only other.

But it wasn't to be. Messi ended up in Paris and now both he and Guardiola will want to show that they don't need the other to succeed this season.

Different paths

Messi returned to training on Monday after an injury had ruled him out of action, and there is hope that he'll be ready to play at the Parc des Princes against City, which will no doubt be a boost for PSG even though he is still finding his feet.

City, for their part, come into Tuesday's game with a lot of confidence after beating Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, allowing Guardiola to end his three-match losing streak to the Blues and Thomas Tuchel. With Liverpool at Anfield to come after Paris, he'll be just as keen to see off Messi and co. at the Parc des Princes.

Problems in Paris

Things haven't gone entirely to plan for PSG this season. Despite boasting a nine-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 already, they are still waiting for their front three to click as a unit. Messi is yet to find his form, and Kylian Mbappe and Neymar appear to have some complications in their relationship.

Tuesday might just be the perfect time for those to be put aside and for Pochettino's PSG to send a message to Europe. And when Messi is on the pitch, there's nothing that can be ruled out.