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#3 Addition of experienced campaigners
PSG had one of the best transfer windows of all time. Apart from the obvious insertion of world-class talents, they have also added a wealth of experienced individuals. Players like Sergio Ramos and Lionel Messi know what it is like to win the Champions League. The pair have won the trophy four times each.
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Georginio Wijnaldum enjoyed a successful stint at Liverpool, winning the Premier League and the Champions League. Achraf Hakimi and Gianluigi Donnarumma may still be young, but they both received a winners’ medal not too long ago. Hakimi won the Scudetto with Inter Milan, while Donnarumma’s Italy triumphed at the Euros.
With players of such calibre, PSG should instill a winning mentality in the Champions League in no time. The comparatively easier title race in Ligue 1 will also allow PSG to put all their eggs in the Champions League basket. The same cannot be said about Premier League teams, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
#2 PSG's lethal attacking trio
PSG have built a forward line of dreams with Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr and Kylian Mbappe. Neither Messi nor Neymar has hit full stride yet. However, PSG are stomping to the Ligue 1 title and are through to the Champions League knockouts. It is scary to think how dangerous they will be once the pair starts firing.
The Champions League is known for its dynamic nature. Due to the knockout format, individual performances go a long way in the Champions League. PSG have as many as three world-class attackers to rely upon. It is hard to stop one of them, but keeping all three at bay is a whole new level of difficulty altogether.
MNM (Messi + Neymar + Mbappe) have registered 16 goals and 17 assists in Ligue 1 and the Champions League. The trio hasn’t formed a great understanding yet. However, that will surely come with time as the common goal for the team is winning the Champions League.
#1 The Lionel Messi factor
Lionel Messi is known to step up when it matters the most. The Argentine was instrumental in almost every trophy won by Barcelona over the last 15 years. In his final few seasons at Barcelona, his teammates let him down repeatedly. With PSG, he has a great squad that will support him in every manner.
The 34-year-old clinched his 7th Ballon d’Or award recently and will be gunning for another shot at football’s most prestigious individual award. The Champions League plays a major role in deciding the Ballon d’Or winner. Lionel Messi has won the award three out of four times when his team has won the Champions League.
As the FIFA World Cup is scheduled for 2022, a player representing a team that performs well in Qatar will stand a great chance to win the Ballon d’Or. Although Argentina won the Copa America this year, they are not favorites for the FIFA World Cup.
Hence, Messi will try his level best to achieve Champions League success with PSG so that he can add another Ballon d’Or to his rich trophy cabinet.
