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Former Arsenal star Samir Nasri has not included seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi in his combined PSG and Real Madrid XI. The Frenchman has put Real Madrid ace Karim Benzema up front in a central striking position and flanked him with Paris Saint-Germain duo Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
Messi has not been in the best of form since joining Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent last summer. He has been criticized for his lack of goals in Ligue 1, with him only scoring twice in 17 French top-flight outings.
The Argentine has scored five group-stage goals in the Champions League but cut a frustrating figure in the first leg of PSG’s last-16 clash with Real Madrid. He notably missed a penalty in February’s first leg, which could have given the Parisians a commanding lead heading into the second leg.
Nasir supposedly created his combined lineup purely on recent form, which is the reason behind Messi’s shocking absence as mentioned in the Daily Mail. Here is the team Nasri submitted to L’Equipe (via Get French Football News) ahead of PSG’s return leg against Real Madrid:
Gianluigi Donnarumma; Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Presnel Kimpembe, David Alaba; Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos, Marco Verratti; Kylian Mbappé, Karim Benzema, Neymar
Having secured a 1-0 win in the first leg, courtesy of Mbappe’s sensational goal, PSG will travel to Madrid for the second leg on Wednesday.
The visitors have all their regulars at their disposal for the game, with the exception of former Los Blancos skipper Sergio Ramos. Despite not being fit to play, Ramos has traveled with the squad and is expected to be present at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night as per BeSoccer.
Samir Nasri could have picked Lionel Messi ahead of Neymar in his Real Madrid-PSG combined XI
Lionel Messi’s lackluster goalscoring form is for all to see. However, amid the criticism, we cannot forget his ability to create chances for his teammates.
The Argentina international has provided a whopping 11 assists in 17 Ligue 1 appearances this season, making him the joint-leading assist provider in the division. Only teammate Kylian Mbappe is near the Argentine as far as Ligue 1 assists are concerned, providing 10 of them.
Neymar, on the other hand, has struggled with fitness issues and an ankle injury, meaning he’s not yet at his best. Picking PSG's no. 30 ahead of Neymar would also give more balance to the combined XI’s attack. It would allow Mbappe to move to his preferred position on the left and leave the right flank to Messi. Benzema would then be free to wreak havoc down the middle.
