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Lionel Messi is expected to start when Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) host FC Bordeaux in Ligue 1 today.
Mauricio Pochettino's men have been in poor form across all competitions in recent weeks. They suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to OGC Nice in the league last time around.
The Parisian giants were then knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid after a 3-2 aggregate loss in the Round of 16 stage. They suffered a 3-1 defeat to Los Blancos in the second leg of their fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu in mid-week. Karim Benzema scored a second-half hat-trick to power Real Madrid to a comeback win for the ages.
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Messi had relatively poor outings in both of those games and will be keen to return to his best against Bordeaux in Ligue 1. The 34-year-old forward will likely be partnered alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in attack. Mbappe will return to league action after missing the game against Nice due to a suspension.
It is worth mentioning that Messi did not feature the last time PSG faced Bordeaux in the league (November last year). At the time, the Argentine skipper was recovering from a knee injury. The Parisian outfit secured a 3-2 win on that occasion, with Neymar scoring twice.
Today's game at the Parc des Princes will be contested between the league leaders and the team currently at the bottom of the standings. Bordeaux are currently on a five-game winless run and are rock bottom of the Ligue 1 standings on goal difference.
PSG, meanwhile, are 12 points clear of second-placed Nice and have a game in hand. They have lost just three times in the league this season.
Lionel Messi had picked up some form for PSG following the turn of the year
Lionel Messi had a slow start to life in Paris following his free transfer from Barcelona in the summer of 2021. However, he started to contribute a lot more at the turn of the year.
As things stand, Messi has scored once and assisted six times in his last six Ligue 1 matches. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has been PSG's creative force this season, and this has helped Kylian Mbappe flourish up front.
Messi's overall record for the season currently stands at seven goals and 11 assists in 25 appearances across all competitions. However, only two of those goals have come in Ligue 1.
With PSG now out of the Champions League, Lionel Messi will be expected to churn out better numbers in the league.
