"We have to get used to playing without Leo": Sergio Busquets urges Barcelona to move on from Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi finally left Barcelona this summer in a move that surprised the entire football world. Despite admitting that the Argentine's departure came as a big shock, current Blaugrana captain Sergio Busquets has urged the club to move on.

The Spanish midfielder was quoted as saying:

"It was a shock given everything Leo did for Barca and for me. We felt a number of sensations which were difficult to digest but we have to try and move on. We're only at the start of the season and we have to get used to playing without Leo."

Busquets: "Messi's departure? I was in a state of shock because of everything Leo meant to me, to my family... It was a difficult situation to digest. It was hard, but now we must try to change the chip. We have to get used to it."

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) September 13, 2021

Barcelona will welcome Bayern Munich to the Nou Camp this evening for their first Champions League match of the season. The last time the two sides met, the Blaugrana suffered an 8-2 humiliation.

This time, however, no one knows what to expect from a Barcelona side that doesn't feature Lionel Messi. Ronald Koeman's men will definitely be looking to avoid a repeat of what happened last year.

Despite not being considered among the favorites, Sergio Busquets refuses to write off the Catalan club's chances. He said:

"We've had to deal with some difficult situations in the last year with a lot of changes at all levels of the club and he [Koeman] was brought here to make those changes and has had a big impact."

"Anything can happen in football. Chelsea won the competition last season when they weren't favorites at the start."

Busquets: "We know we don't have Messi but in today's football the collective is worth more, like Chelsea last year."

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) September 13, 2021

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How have Barcelona and Lionel Messi fared this season?

Lionel Messi left Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain in a shock move this summer

Lionel Messi signed a two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain after parting ways with Barcelona this summer. The attacker made his debut appearance for the Parisians during the recent 2-0 victory over Reims, coming on as a substitute for Neymar.

Lionel Messi didn't feature in PSG's league game over the weekend. With no goals or assists to his name so far, he'll be keen to impress against Club Brugge in the Champions League tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Barcelona are off to a decent start in La Liga. The Blaugrana have recorded two victories and one draw in three league fixtures so far this season. As mentioned earlier, they will kickstart their Champions League campaign with a clash with Bayern Munich this evening.