Lionel Messi has finally taken his first steps as a Paris Saint-Germain player and Stade de Reims were delighted to play hosts on Sunday.
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Lionel Messi has finally taken his first steps as a Paris Saint-Germain player. Fans at Stade de Reims were more than happy to play hosts on Sunday. But Kylian Mbappe reminded everyone who remains the French giants’ most influential player despite his legendary new teammate’s arrival in a 2-0 victory. Mbappe scored once in each half. He ensured that Monday’s headlines will be as much about him as they will about Messi. However, there was no doubt who the home fans were keen to see. The 34-year-old Argentine receiving the warmest of welcomes to French football.
A new journey begins ???#SDRPSG pic.twitter.com/92PtadFy2G
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) August 29, 2021
For a while, it did not look as if Messi would play much of a role. PSG head coach Mauricio Pochettino playing down heavy involvement prematch and no sign of the Argentina international during the warm-up or at halftime.
However, as the hour mark approached and Reims started to come back into the contest after falling behind to Mbappe’s 15th-minute opener. After Marshall Munetsi’s equalizer was ruled out via VAR, Messi got the nod and started to warm up on the touchline.
Mbappe finished off a lightspeed counterattack to double PSG’s lead just after the hour mark. That was the cue for Pochettino to summon his compatriot from his stretching to replace close friend Neymar. He equally looked short of match fitness as he played his first minutes this season.
Messi’s introduction to French supporters might have been one of the warmest for an opponent. With most of the capacity crowd at Stade Auguste Delaune almost willing him to score to complete an already memorable experience. However, the Reims players were in no mood to roll out the red carpet.
Mbappe was mauled by the home defense in front of Messi. Former Barcelona teammate Thierry Henry watched on in his punditry role from the side of the field as the South American found his feet in Ligue 1.
Maybe it was Mbappe trying to make the most of what could prove to be a short-lived spell in the same squad. It could also be the beginning of a potential new attacking force. But that remains to be seen as Real Madrid look to secure Mbappe. Messi would have been impressed by his younger teammate’s prowess in front of goal. Mbappe got the lead through an Angel Di Maria cross 15 minutes in. Later on, he combined with Achraf Hakimi to make the result safe as Messi prepared to make his grand entrance in France’s champagne territory.
PSG’s next game is on Sept. 12 against Clermont Foot, and it’s unclear if Messi or Neymar would play right out of the international break. And then there’s Mbappe’s clouded future. The French striker is linked to a move to Real Madrid, and Los Blancos have until Tuesday night to strike a last-minute transfer deal with PSG.
Messi’s full debut could possibly be as late as Olympique Lyonnais at Parc des Princes on Sept. 19. The UEFA Champions League group stage will already be underway by that point with Club Brugge away. There is also Montpellier HSC to come before PSG host Pep Guardiola’s men. The City clash is most likely the fixture that will be targeted to finally have everyone up to speed as the first major clash of this edition.
