Lyon coach, Peter Bosz, knows that his team is in for a massive game in today’s Ligue 1 clash with home side, Paris Saint-Germain, at the Parc des Princes – a very important one for new signing, Lionel Messi, who will be playing in front of the the Parisians’ home fans for the first time, still raring to score his first goal for the club.
Messi has played two games for PSG – one in Ligue 1 and the other, a Champions League match. And manager Mauricio Pochettino may give him his first Ligue 1 start as the Argentina captain aims to score his first goal for the club and inspire a great win at home.
Messi played for only 24 minutes in his debut after he replaced Neymar in the 66th minute of PSG 2-0 away win against Reims at the Stade Auguste Delaune on August 29 before the last international break. He then featured for full 90 minutes in the club’s Champions League 1-1 draw with Club Brugge at Jan Breydel Stadium on September 15, the game in which he bagged his first yellow card as PSG player.
Lyon manager, Bosz, however refuses to be cowed by Messi’s somewhat quiet start for PSG, describing him as an extraordinary player that must be stopped from hurting his team with collective efforts.
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Before Bosz’s arrival at Lyon in May 2021, Messi had severally hurt the club as Barcelona talisman. He scored five Champions League goals for Barca against Lyon during his time at the Spanish giants.
“I think that to counter him [Messi] you have to do it collectively. I have watched a lot of Messi’s games in the past. I’ve stayed home to watch him play and it was a pleasure,” Dutchman, Bosz, said during his Saturday’s pre-match press conference as published on Lyon official website.
“Tomorrow (Sunday) it will be a pleasure to face him and it will make me all the more happy if we win. He is a player with extraordinary quality. It’s only as a team that you can play against him. He must be respected, like all players.”
Bosz also insists that Lyon’s game plan will not focus on Kylian Mbappe who has scored crucial goals for PSG in the new campaign.
“Our tactics will have nothing to do with Mbappe. I’m focusing on my team, on our game,” Bosz said.
“There are a few players that we know of course. It’s not a test, it’s another match, an important one for us, and a very important match that we want to win. We have our own idea of how to play PSG but we don’t have the same players as Brugge.”
Ligue 1 leaders, PSG, are looking to maintain their winning streak in today’s match – five wins from five games so far in the new Ligue 1 season. Seventh-placed Lyon have won two, drew two and lost one, also from five games.
