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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi was savaged by fans on Twitter for his performance during the Ligue 1 clash against Reims. Some fans claimed that the Argentine is holding Kylian Mbappe back, while a few opined that Cristiano Ronaldo would be proud to see Messi's decline.
The Parisians were held on to a 1-1 draw against Reims. Neymar gave his side the lead at the Parc des Princes with a 51st minute strike. Christophe Galtier's side, however, were reduced to 10-man as Marco Verratti was given marching orders in the 59th minute.
The Italian midfielder had come on as a substitute in the 46th minute.
Folarin Balogun managed to bring the game to level terms with his 96th minute goal. The Parisians had the chance to extend their lead to five points at the top of the table with a win, but Balogun's goal meant Galtier's side are currently leading second-placed Lens by three points. They have 48 points from 19 games.
Messi, however, had a disappointing performance against Reims. The Argentine managed no shots on target, completed only one out of his four attempted dribbles, and missed one big opportunity during the game. He also won only three out of his 10 ground duels and lost possession of the ball 14 times.
Fans on Twitter claimed that the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner doesn't care about his club side anymore. A few opined that the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has been performing at this level for a while now.
Here are some of the strongest reactions across Twitter after Lionel Messi's poor performance during PSG's Ligue 1 draw against Reims:
What's next for PSG and Lionel Messi?
PSG and Lionel Messi will return to action on February 2 as the Parisians take on Montpellier in a Ligue 1 clash. Montpellier are currently 14th in the Ligue 1 table with 20 points from 10 games.
The Parisian club have been on a poor run of form since the restart of the season following the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They currently have a narrow edge over Lens at the top of the table.
Galtier's team will need a positive result from their away clash against Montpellier if they are to keep their position as the league leaders.
