"I hope he will be a little less good than usual" - AS Saint-Etienne manager Pascal Dupraz heaps praise on PSG's Lionel Messi ahead of Ligue 1 clash

AS Saint-Etienne manager Pascal Dupraz has lauded Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Lionel Messi ahead of their Ligue 1 clash on Saturday.

Messi, 34, has been somewhat disappointing since his arrival in Paris last summer following a huge departure from Barcelona. Many had expected him to ignite PSG and place them at the top of world football.

But the Paris side's most recent 3-1 loss to Nantes in Ligue 1 has only cast more doubt over his suitability at the Parc des Princes.

St-Etienne boss Dupraz has still taken the time to praise the Argentinian, who he hopes is not at his usual best when the two sides meet.

Dupraz told Le10Sport:

“Messi is an exceptional player and I hope he will be a little less good than usual. He is a fantastic player and has a humble image. He is not provocative and respects his opponents and his sport masterfully.”

For PSG this season, the Argentina legend has recorded seven goals and contributed nine assists in 22 appearances across all competitions.

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Messi to take center stage for PSG

The forward could revive his season at PSG with important weeks ahead.

Following the Ligue 1 leaders' game against St-Etienne on Saturday, they will look ahead to a highly important second leg match against Real Madrid.

The Paris side are currently 1-0 up following Kylian Mbappe's magnificent solo goal in the first leg. This is the type of match where Messi could step up to the plate.

Madrid fans are familiar with the Argentina captain, as he has been a thorn in their side for many years during his time at fierce rivals Barcelona.

During his days at the Catalan side, Messi has played 46 times and scored on 20 occasions whilst assisting 11 times against Los Blancos. His back-and-forth with Madrid great Cristiano Ronaldo is still to many the best rivalry in football history.

The former Barca forward is one of football's greatest ever scorers with a record that currently stands at 679 goals in 800 appearances.

His trophy cabinet is just as impressive with four UEFA Champions Leagues and 10 La Liga titles to his name.

PSG's season is reaching an important stage where they will need their top players to come to the fore and none more so than Messi. The Argentine could yet turnaround what has been a topsy turvy time in Paris.