Paris Saint-Germain is set to book passage into the knockout stage of the 2022-23 Champions League after blitzing visiting Israeli outfit Maccabi Haifa at the Parc des Princes tonight, with the Parisian giants holding a 4-2 lead as the second half gets underway.
With Brazilian star Neymar back in the matchday XI, PSG has, once again, tapped into their star-studded attacking triumvirate on the night that has seen the aforementioned Neymar joined by Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi on the scoresheet. And it has been Messi who has stood tallest in what has been a vibrant resurgence from the Argentine icon this season.
After bagging a first-half brace while adding an assist for Neymar’s curled effort in the 35th minute, Messi has become the first player this season to have 10+ goals and 10+ assists in Europe’s top five leagues.
Lionel Messi is the only player to get 10+ goals and 10+ assists in Europe’s top five leagues this season 🐐 pic.twitter.com/0ulWecDlfi
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) October 25, 2022
After struggling to adapt to his new surroundings during the 2021-22 campaign after departing the club that helped launch him to superstardom, Messi has been reborn this season and putting in weekly displays that the footballing world has grown accustomed to over the course of his career.
Messi’s nine assists in Ligue 1 see him top of the list in France’s top club competition while his six goals are good enough for joint-eighth in the statistics chart.
Though he is not scoring goals at home or abroad at the same otherwordly rate he achieved while at Barcelona, the 35-year-old is still producing a level of play overall commensurate with his multi-generational talent and has been one of the top players across Europe this season regardless of the competition.
