Premier League Icon Blasts French Media for Criticizing Messi in UCL Round-of-16 Clash Against Real Madrid

Premier League Icon Blasts French Media for Criticizing Messi in UCL Round-of-16 Clash Against Real Madrid

Chukwu Ikechukwu
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:56 PM
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  • Sergio Aguero has launched a defense of Lionel Messi after the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner was criticized for his performance in PSG’s Champions League win against Real Madrid
  • French publication L'Equipe had decided to hand Lionel Messi a brutal 3/10 rating for his efforts against Madrid something Aguero disagrees with
  • PSG will go into their second-leg clash against Real Madrid with a one-goal advantage after the Parisians grabbed a late winner through Kylian Mbappe

Sergio Aguero has come out in defense of Lionel Messi after the Argentine captain was heavily criticized for his performance in Paris Saint-Germain’s victory against Real Madrid.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner had a below-par performance against the Spanish giants and capped it off by missing a second-half penalty while the game was still goalless.

Premier League Icon Blasts French Media for Criticizing Messi in UCL Round-of-16 Clash Against Real Madrid
Lionel Messi missed a second half penalty for PSG in the round-of-16 clash against Real Madrid. Photo by NurPhoto
Source: Getty Images

Kylian Mbappe would however save the blushes of PSG when he grabbed a late winner to give PSG a slim 1-0 advantage going into the reverse fixture in Madrid.

French publication L'Equipe had decided to hand Lionel Messi a brutal 3/10 rating but former Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero according to a report via Sport Bible, believes the castigating of his fellow Argentine was uncalled for.

“Leo played well, he broke lines. I’m not saying that because he’s a friend, but because he played hard. He was good and very active.
“In France, magazines and newspapers killed him. I had an interview scheduled with a French magazine, but I said: ‘No because I support Leo Messi. Period.”

Xavi defends Messi after penalty miss

Meanwhile, Barcelona manager, Xavi Hernandes has defended Lionel Messi’s missed penalty kick against Real Madrid in the UCL round-of-16.

According to Spanish news outlet, Marca, Xavi says playing for PSG and being Lionel Messi, it is only normal to get criticized as that’s the only thing many will focus on after the game.

The Spaniard would go ahead to wish the seven-time Ballon d’Or all the best as he expects Messi to bounce back to his usual best.

Fans Praise Kylian Mbappé for Saving a Boring Champions League Game

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Kylian Mbappé scored in the dying minutes to give Paris Saint-Germain a late win against Real Madrid and fans can’t stop talking about his brilliance.

Social media was set alight by Mbappé’s late goal as many had commented that the game was boring before the last-minute drama.

Earlier in the game, Messi had missed a penalty but that was soon forgotten about once Mbappé saved his team’s blushes.

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Chukwu Ikechukwu
Chukwu Ikechukwu Godwin is a journalist with over 9 years of experience in the Nigerian media industry. He has worked both in Radio (Today FM, Rhythm FM, Wish FM) and Television (Silverbird TV) as a Sports Analyst..
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