Lionel Messi is about to begin his second season with Paris Saint-Germain, as the Super PSG 2.0 project gets up and running with the Trophee des Champions match against Nantes in Israel this Sunday.
The final will take place in Tel Aviv without Kylian Mbappe, since he is serving a suspension that was carried over from the previous season, but Messi will be there and, according to those close to him, he appears extra determined and very focused.
He wants this club season to go well and won’t be sidetracked by the World Cup in November, which he will think about later, or the rumours and statements linking him with a move back to Barcelona in 2023. That’s all a long way off, and Messi isn’t concerned with it at the moment.
Christophe Galtier will be the new coach and Luis Campos is the sporting advisor, but Messi will be a leader on the pitch as part of Super PSG 2.0, especially in this test without Mbappe.
In the team’s new formation, a 3-4-1-2 with Messi as a No.10 and with Neymar and Pablo Sarabia on the flanks, the Argentine will be the team’s playmaker and will lead the attack.
Sergio Ramos, who is back in form, has also been regularly featuring in the back three, reincarnated.
Praise for Neymar
It’s not just Messi who is determined to have a successful 2022/23. Neymar also seems determined and he was complimented by everybody on Saturday.
“I see a happy and very professional player who has not missed a single session and who has an attitude of cooperation and listening,” Galtier said of the Brazilian.
“He works hard and he is a world-class player.”
The fact that a trophy is up for grabs in this curtain raiser means everyone is motivated, physically fit and committed to making a statement. Europe should watch out as Super PSG 2.0 is ready for launch.
