Messi, it’s getting worse and worse

Funny week for Lionel messi. After receiving the seventh Ballon d’Or of his career on Monday night, the Argentina striker made two new matches with the Paris Saint Germain, against Nice (0-0) and Lens (1-1), where he failed to improve his statistics in Ligue 1, quite the contrary.

Before this trip to Bollaert, the former Barcelona was 30 shots for a single goal, sharing a record of inefficiency with Clermontois Jodel Dossou (30 shots, 1 goal also). Facing the Blood and Gold, Messi took the lead in this unofficial and unenviable ranking alone. He has hit goal five times, and once again failed to score. Worse, he didn’t even frame a single shot. Three of his attempts were countered, and on the other two, one found the post (18th), on one of the actions he loves: transplanting from the left towards the axis to strike on the approach of the penalty area.

Still not suited to Ligue 1?

The calculation is quick, Messi is therefore 35 shots on French lawns for a single goal in the league. And the observation is always the same: sometimes it is he who lacks efficiency, sometimes it is he who finds himself in a worse position than in Barcelona. Because he manages less to get rid of defenders, or because his teammates have more difficulty serving him in good conditions? The question is asked …

Overall, Messi’s game at Lens is not bad. He touched 79 balls, for 86% of successful passes. After his hat-trick in assists in Saint-Etienne, he offered two huge opportunities to Icardi (45th) and Mbappé (71st). The negative point is that the Lensois goal comes from a duel which he loses with Medina, a contact after which he remains on the ground, without a fault being whistled. To this too, Messi will have to get used to. It is early December, and the now sevenfold Ballon d’Or still seems to be adapting to its new environment. Astonishing?

Also read:Lens-PSG, the film of the matchLigue 1: The 17th dayLigue 1: The classification