Messi joins PSG: How Leo lines up alongside Mbappe and Neymar

Following
his
shock
exit
from
Barcelona
as
a
free
agent,
Messi
becomes
the
Ligue
1
giants’ fifth
signing
of
the
transfer
window,
joining
the
superstars
Mauricio
Pochettino
already
had
at
his
disposal.

After
coming
so
close
in
recent
seasons,
PSG
will
hope
this
move
can
bring
an
end
to
their
wait
for
a
first
Champions
League
triumph.

But
how
will
all
these
players
fit
in
the
same
XI?
Stats
Perform
attempts
to
work
that
out…

GK:
Gianluigi
Donnarumma

Keylor
Navas
has
been
one
of
Europe’s
outstanding
goalkeepers
in
recent
seasons,
ranking
third
for
goals
prevented
(8.1,
using
expected
goals
on
target
data)
in
the
top
five
leagues
in
2020-21.
But
Donnarumma
–
the
Player
of
the
Tournament
at
Euro
2020
–
did
not
leave
boyhood
club
Milan
just
to
sit
on
the
bench
and,
at
22,
represents
the
long-term
option.

RB:
Achraf
Hakimi

Alessandro
Florenzi
headed
back
to
Roma
at
the
end
of
his
loan,
but
PSG
identified
just
about
the
best
replacement
on
the
market.
Over
the
previous
two
seasons,
Robin
Gosens
(34)
was
the
only
defender
with
more
goal
involvements
than
Hakimi
(30).

CB:
Marquinhos

PSG
won
72.5
per
cent
of
the
games
Marquinhos
played
last
season
in
all
competitions,
conceding
0.7
goals
on
average.
Those
numbers
altered
significantly
in
his
absence,
with
a
winning
percentage
of
52.9
while
shipping
1.1
goals
per
game.
Even
with
the
club’s
superstar
signings,
their
captain
remains
one
of
the
key
men.

CB:
Sergio
Ramos

Ramos,
another
freebie,
may
no
longer
be
able
to
play
every
game
–
he
appeared
only
15
times
in
LaLiga
for
Real
Madrid
last
term
–
but
PSG
better
hope
he
is
there
for
the
big
ones.
Over
the
previous
three
seasons,
Madrid
won
10
of
the
15
Champions
League
games
Ramos
featured
in
and
only
four
of
the
13
he
missed.

LB:
Abdou
Diallo

This
is
perhaps
the
one
position
on
the
pitch
where
PSG
lack
a
genuine
world-class
option.
Even
if
Pochettino
were
to
bring
in
Presnel
Kimpembe
as
a
third
centre-back,
there
is
no
outstanding
left-sided
wing-back.
Diallo,
a
defensive
full-back
in
an
attacking
team,
gets
the
nod
by
virtue
of
starting
the
season
fit
and
ahead
of
Layvin
Kurzawa
in
the
pecking
order.

CM:
Marco
Verratti

At
the
end
of
a
season
in
which
Verratti
was
restricted
to
only
16
Ligue
1
starts,
Euro
2020
provided
a
reminder
of
his
talents.
The
Italy
midfielder
created
a
tournament-leading
14
chances
across
just
five
games
while
still
completing
93.1
per
cent
of
his
417
passes.
Now
imagine
those
passes
are
being
played
to
Messi…

CM:
Leandro
Paredes

Paredes,
Messi’s
international
colleague,
also
made
just
16
league
starts
for
PSG
last
term,
but
he
was
still
trusted
for
the
big
occasions
in
the
Champions
League.
That
included
a
dominant
display
against
a
Barca
midfield
of
Sergio
Busquets,
Frenkie
de
Jong
and
Pedri,
as
Paredes
played
the
second
most
passes
on
the
pitch
(73)
and
assisted
one
of
four
PSG
goals.

CM:
Georginio
Wijnaldum

Angel
Di
Maria
is
very
unfortunate
to
miss
out
on
this
XI
and
undoubtedly
still
has
a
part
to
play,
but
Wijnaldum
perhaps
offers
a
better
balance
in
a
midfield
three
with
the
attacking
talent
ahead
of
him.
Across
his
Liverpool
Premier
League
career,
Wijnaldum
led
all
Reds
midfielders
in
recoveries
(951)
and
duels
won
(645)
and
ranked
second
in
interceptions
(115)
and
third
in
tackles
(181).

RW:
Lionel
Messi

Of
course,
Messi
can
play
across
the
front
three,
but
starting
from
the
right
–
with
Hakimi
in
the
Dani
Alves
role
outside
him
–
will
bring
back
memories
of
Barca
teams
of
old.
It
is
the
role
he
occupied
in
2014-15,
forming
part
of
perhaps
the
Blaugrana’s
most
exciting
attacking
trio.

CF:
Kylian
Mbappe

Mbappe
has
the
Luis
Suarez
role,
providing
the
direct
runs
in
behind
that
create
space
in
front
of
the
defence
for
Messi
and
Co.
Last
season’s
53
goal
involvements
did
not
quite
match
the
forward’s
career
high
of
54
in
2018-19,
but
Mbappe
can
expect
to
break
all
sorts
of
records
in
this
thrillingly
creative
line-up
this
term.

LW:
Neymar

Still
the
world’s
most
expensive
player
if
no
longer
the
biggest
name
in
his
own
dressing
room,
Neymar
was
the
third
member
of
that
2014-15
front
three.
Having
decided
to
step
out
of
Messi’s
shadow,
the
Brazil
superstar
wanted
his
old
friend
back.
During
their
four
years
together
at
Barca,
Neymar
assisted
Messi
22
times,
while
the
six-time
Ballon
d’Or
winner
returned
the
favour
on
20
occasions.