Paris Saint-Germain saw their front three of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Neymar Jr. shine in the 7-2 win over Maccabi Haifa in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday at the Parc des Princes.
Mbappe recorded a brace and registered two assists, Messi registered the same stat line as the 23-year-old, and Neymar chipped in with one goal of his own. As a result, the three supplied five of the seven goals.
When it comes to Messi, though, the Argentine is showing that the 2021-22 season was a fluke, as the veteran forward has 11 goals and 12 assists for PSG in all competitions this campaign.
ESPN FC pundit Frank Leboeuf stated that after witnessing Messi’s performance against the Israeli side, the PSG star is returning to his past form while at FC Barcelona.
“I think Messi is back to what we saw when he was at his best with Barcelona,” Leboeuf said on Tuesday’s episode of ESPN FC. “In terms of finishing, maybe he runs even less than before. Maybe he doesn’t participate like he never did in the defensive aspect of the game, but offensively, he didn’t lose anything.
“He’s quick, he’s fast. He does what he has to do. He knows how to play simple and serve others. But on top of it, he scored again [Tuesday] two magnificent goals.”
Messi continuing to defy age is why the French giants hope to secure a contract extension for the former Barcelona star. His contract expires in June 2023, and this 2022-23 football season, he’s showing that there are still plenty of prime years left.
Watch the entire segment below:
