PSG, again out of the Champions League: Bayern eliminated him and Messi’s future was full of unknowns

It is possible that in Catalonia and in the world the fans of Lionel Messi and Barcelona fans. And is that those goals from Eric Choupo-Moting and Serge Gnabry so Bayern Munich win 2-0 and eliminate Paris Saint Germain from the Champions League it could be the start of something. Just in the week that the culé president, Joan Laporta, acknowledged a meeting with George Messi, father and representative of the world champion. The PSG who dreamed of the a Heart team He failed again in Europe and came out empty-handed in the round of 16 for the second year in a row. The blow can be a signal for the Fleawhose contract expires in June.

The Champions League is costing Messi: he last lifted Orejona in 2015. Then they were all hard defeats. In 2016, he was left out in the quarterfinals against Atlético de Madrid; in 2017, in the quarterfinals against Juventus; in 2018, in the quarterfinals against Roma; in 2019, in the semifinal with Liverpool; in 2020, in the quarterfinals against Bayern Munich; in 2021, in the round of 16 against PSG; in 2022, already with the French team’s shirt, against Real Madrid; and now against Bayern Munich. Yes, it’s the third time in a row that Leo is excluded in the second round.

And now the French media will speak up and attack the setters of this mediocre team that has nothing to fight with at the European level. The arrival of louis fields As sporting director (in place of the Brazilian Leonardo) the state of things has changed little, although he has fired the coach Mauricio Pochettino and opted to clean up the Argentine dressing room (Di María, Paredes and Icardi have emigrated). The fabulous Mbappé gave them the key, but they surrounded him only with Messi. And two players, no matter how good they are, cannot make a winning team. In Germany, both the Frenchman and Rosario appeared resigned in the final minutes of the game.

The first part was boring, slow, without explosions and with few goal situations. Bayern Munich waited in the middle of the pitch, denying receptions from Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, while Paris Saint Germain centre-backs passed the ball without finding a gap between the lines. This was the game: partly wanting from the local and not having too many ideas from the visitor.

The German strategy can be understood from the advantage obtained in the first leg in France. They played defending that 1-0. It’s true, they didn’t hold back, even if they weren’t the ambitious and physical team they usually are. They defended with a 4-2-3-1 formation in midfield and allowed PSG to handle the ball with their defenders. The mark jumped only when the pass went to the central sector. Messi’s marking at that point was aggressive: in 20 minutes Rosario’s man had already fallen to the ground three times. In attack, the Teutons free Davies on the left to form a 3-2-4-1, with Coman open on the right. All the same, it almost didn’t disturb the place. In the clearest and most cross definition by Jamal Musiala, the Italian Gianluigi Donnarumma shone.

Paris Saint Germain has played forever by being in the game; that is why they do not convert it. Coach Christophe Galtier bet on a plenary session: he prayed for Messi’s magic and Mbappé’s runs. That’s why he planted a 5-3-2 on the field with a low starting point. The French cast ball carrier – whoever that is – had only two options up front and the rest behind. So, the logic was the step back. PSG abused it and it was boring at times. But he never went off script.

And it had its situations. Alphonso Davies gave up all he had left to close against Messi, who he was preparing to define after a pass in the center of Nuno Mendes. The clearest was on Vitinha’s feet and it wasn’t a miracle goal. Yann Sommer fell asleep under pressure from Hakimi and Vitinha’s shot into an empty net was cleared off the line by matthijs de ligt. The feeling is that the Portuguese hastened to define and his left-footed shot was weak and in the center.

Messi? The captain of the national team managed to receive a few balls in the last meters and halfway through the first set he stayed behind to get in touch with the midfielders. He was far from Mbappé and was surrounded by the Germans. Also, every time he received he had to endure the aggressive (and legal) branding of Goretzka and Kimmich.

In the second half, the local went into steamroller mode and overtook the rival. He made a bad mistake in Verrati’s start and Choupo-Moting grazed the empty net. It was a comedy similar to that of Vitinha. Then it was the turn of the Germans, who took second late on with a good definition from substitute Serge Gnabry. There were two goals, but it could have been more if the Teutons had accelerated in the decisive metres.

PSG had no answers, plus a couple of titles by Sergio Ramos. He didn’t compete and that hurts the fans. Mbappé didn’t touch him and Messi immediately recognized the elimination, who left the field resigned and dodging a fan who came in to greet him and slipped before embracing him.

Now there will be speculation about the permanence of Galtier and it is possible that in these lands the name of Marcellus Gallardo due to his past at the club. Mbappé’s future will also be discussed with Real Madrid at the center of attention. That of Neymar, absent due to injury, seems to have become final. And what happens to Messi will be on the agenda for the next few months. On the table the renewal offer in the Parisian cast, with Barcelona always the object of desire, despite the economic difficulties that the Catalan group is going through. The Newell’s thing seems impossible and going to the United States is a possibility already studied by the Messi family.

PSG lost again and Messi was left without a Champions League. What will become of the future of the captain of the national team?