Paris Saint-Germain opened up its new season on a convincing note, as it secured a 4-0 win over Nantes in the 2022 Trophee des Champions Final.
Lionel Messi was among the three players who got on the scoresheet for PSG in the contest. The Argentine forward was also quite active when on the ball, which included three goal-scoring chances created for teammates, and also the seven ground duels won.
After the match (via L’Equipe), PSG center-back Marquinhos, who earned a start in the fixture, analyzed just what went behind Messi’s keen showing in the final. For one, the Brazilian defender noted that Messi played in a position that he “likes.”
“Leo (Messi) was very comfortable on the pitch,” Marquinhos said. “He is in a position that he likes, the coach has managed to get the best out of the players and that has influenced the performance of the whole group.
“We did a good preparation, almost a month, and it shows.”
With Kylian Mbappe unavailable for the match due to a yellow card suspension, PSG manager Christophe Galtier opted to start Messi as a center forward upfront. The move paid off, as the Argentine was able to get both Neymar and Pablo Sarabia involved in key attacking sequences.
For now, PSG is set for its Ligue 1 opener against Clermont Foot on Saturday.
