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Argentina and Lyon star Nicolas Tagliafico has hit back at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fans for booing Lionel Messi, saying that his compatriot should not be singled out.
Ligue 1 giants PSG welcomed Lyon to the Parc des Princes for their league clash on Sunday (April 2) night. Before kick-off, Messi was subjected to jeers, with fans booing and showing discontent when his name was announced in the line-up to face Lyon. It marked the second consecutive time the Argentina superstar was booed at home, with the first instance taking place ahead of the 2-0 defeat to Rennes last month.
Like in the clash against Rennes, Messi and Co. failed to live up to their billing, succumbing to a 1-0 defeat to Lyon. Tagliafico, who impressed at left-back as Lyon beat PSG, reacted to home fans’ contempt toward his compatriot, saying that the entire team and not just one player should be blamed for their woes.
He said after the game (via @AlbicelesteTalk):
“Football is a team sport; it’s not just for one player.”
Messi has received criticism for cutting a frustrating figure in the Parisians’ UEFA Champions League Round of 16 exit to Bayern Munich. The Argentine superstar looked bereft of ideas, especially at the Allianz Arena, as the French outfit fell to a 3-0 aggregate defeat.
The 35-year-old has also been heavily linked with a move away from the Parc des Princes. He has been reported to have turned down renewal proposals from the Ligue 1 leaders and is now in talks with Barcelona over a possible return.
Lionel Messi put in decent shift in PSG’s defeat to Lyon
While he failed to make a telling impact in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Lyon, Messi was arguably PSG’s best performer on the night. Playing 90 minutes, the Argentina icon completed 54 passes with 81% accuracy, created an impressive five chances, and dispatching three shots, with one landing on target.
He played 11 passes into the final third, completed five of six attempted crosses, pulled off four dribbles and won two tackles. Unfortunately, his strike partner Kylian Mbappe was not on the same wavelength, with the Frenchman often failing to get on the end of Messi’s deliveries. The 24-year-old lodged only one shot on target, that, too, from outside the box.
