"He is able to hit 15-20m" - French pundit heaps praise on 'impressive' PSG superstar Lionel Messi

French pundit Rio Mavuba has been impressed by Lionel Messi's form for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) this season.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner scored from a direct free-kick in a 2-1 win for the Parisian giants over OGC Nice in Ligue 1 on Saturday (October 1).

Mavuba believes that Messi has finally found his feet in Ligue 1 after an underwhelming debut season in the French capital.

Speaking to Telefoot, Rio Mavuba was quoted as saying the following (via Telefoot on Twitter):

"This year, he is impressive. He has found his legs, he has found very strong support, he is able to hit 15-20m. (...) It's nice to see him at this level."

PSG recorded their eighth win in the league by securing a narrow victory over Nice. Kylian Mbappe came off the bench to net the winner with just 17 minutes remaining on the clock to hand his side a 2-1 win.

Christophe Galtier's side are now two points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 charts, having amassed 25 points from their opening nine games of the new season.

---

Lionel Messi has been one of PSG's best players this season

Lionel Messi has made an incredible start to the 2022-23 season for PSG. The Argentine forward has consistently scored goals and provided assists for his fellow attackers and has played a crucial role in his side's unbeaten start to the season.

As things stand, Messi has scored seven goals and provided eight assists from 12 appearances across all competitions.

Lionel Messi's form in Ligue 1 has been exceptional. The former FC Barcelona skipper has only gone two games without making a goal contribution. He has now scored two goals in two consecutive games in the league.

Messi scored the only goal of the game against Olympique Lyonnais in a 1-0 win for PSG prior to the international break.

Lionel Messi also had a great outing against Maccabi Haifa in the UEFA Champions League. The Argentine skipper scored a goal and provided an assist in a 3-1 win for the Parisian giants in Group H of the tournament.

Lionel Messi has been used in a slightly deeper role by new PSG manager Christophe Galtier. This tactical tweak has seen Messi flourish alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Jr.

Both Neymar and Mbappe have scored 11 goals each this season. Neymar has also chipped in with eight assists.