Tensions running high at Messi's glamour club

1 year ago 75

The Champions League returns connected Wednesday (AEDT) to a precise antithetic European shot country than it was earlier a 3 period mid-season break.

In the interim, Lionel Messi won his archetypal World Cup.

Kylian Mbappe astir won his second, past got injured.

Watch Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland successful the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League, returning February 15 and streaming advertisement free, unrecorded and exclusive connected Stan Sport

Early play favourites for the European rubric fell into slumps astatine home.

Meanwhile, 1 standout squad earlier the World Cup, Napoli, has marched connected and aims for its archetypal quarter-final spot successful the competition's 68-year history.

Off the field, the Super League task that tried to efficaciously termination the Champions League met a superior ineligible setback, and English rubric holder Manchester City faces Premier League charges of fiscal wrongdoing that could 1 time halt the nine entering aboriginal Champions Leagues.

It adds up to plentifulness of play adjacent earlier football's astir prized nine contention resumes with a stellar crippled betwixt Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

A rematch of the 2020 last won by Bayern pairs 2 powers that helped halt the Super League successful 2021 by refusing to articulation it.

Mbappe has made an unexpectedly speedy betterment from wounded and PSG anticipation helium tin look Bayern successful the archetypal limb of their circular of 16 Champions League clash.

Lethal Mbappe does it again

The superstar was expected to beryllium retired for 3 weeks aft tearing a musculus successful his near thigh connected February 1 and the pitchy heeled forward's speedy instrumentality to grooming has amazed the team.

Neymar hopes to enactment up alongside Mbappe and Messi, who himself has shaken disconnected a sore hamstring.

"Kylian is an highly important subordinate for us, he's a star," Neymar said.

Mbappe tears Juventus apart

"Obviously we consciousness stronger erstwhile each 3 of america are playing."

But tensions person been moving precocious astatine PSG aft successive defeats to Marseille successful the French Cup and to Monaco successful Ligue 1.

PSG's 3-1 nonaccomplishment to Monaco was its 4th decision successful 10 games and sporting manager Luis Campos was reportedly truthful angered by the abject show that helium argued with Neymar and skipper Marquinhos later.

Tensions betwixt Mbappe, Neymar

"Yes determination was a discussion, we didn't hold with what we heard," Neymar said.

"But these things happen. Football isn't conscionable astir emotion and friendship."

Comparing it to an statement with his girlfriend, Neymar said consecutive talking is necessary.

"The respect is determination but determination are times erstwhile you don't hold and discussions hap to marque things better," Neymar said.

"It's existent that our caller performances haven't been precise good. Of people it's unsettling erstwhile determination are defeats."

Neymar, however, was besides upset that the quality was leaked.

"It's not mean that everything that happens comes retired of the dressing room, it should enactment betwixt us," helium said.

"We cognize that we person immoderate weaknesses, but I'm definite we'll spot the champion of PSG tomorrow."

Here are immoderate different cardinal Champions League storylines to watch.

Magic Messi stuns arsenic PSG dominate

MESSI QUEST

At property 35, Messi yet has a World Cup rubric for Argentina.

Now backmost to the concern of winning a 5th Champions League.

When Messi won his 4th rubric with Barcelona successful 2015 Barack Obama was president, Britain was successful the European Union and Jose Mourinho won a league title, astatine Chelsea.

Messi has not been to the last since and his archetypal effort with PSG ended successful the circular of 16 against Real Madrid.

Messi's superb debut extremity for PSG

When helium past faced Bayern it was an 8-2 rout implicit Barcelona successful the azygous limb quarter-finals of the pandemic-hit 2020 edition.

Both PSG and Bayern person misfired since the World Cup.

PSG was unbeaten entering 2023 past mislaid 3 successful the league and is retired of the French Cup.

Bayern inactive leads the Bundesliga aft restarting with 3 consecutive draws.

Champions League highlights: Real Madrid v Celtic

TEAMS IN SLUMPS

A Champions League adage is the squad you gully aft the radical signifier is not ever the 1 you conscionable successful February.

When the past 16 gully was made connected November 7, Real Madrid was the unbeaten Spanish league person paired with an already inconsistent Liverpool.

Madrid has present mislaid 3 of 8 and fto Barcelona instrumentality a dominating lead.

Benzema 'panenka' gives Madrid life

At slightest 2nd placed Madrid is truthful acold wide of 5th successful La Liga to beryllium astir definite of qualifying for adjacent season's Champions League.

Not so, Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool.

Nor AC Milan, Leipzig, Eintracht Frankfurt and Club Brugge.

None is presently connected way to suffice for adjacent season's competition.

Liverpool stars twist the knife

For Liverpool and Chelsea, European champions successful 2019 and 2021, really winning different last connected June 11 (AEDT) successful Istanbul mightiness beryllium their champion accidental of being successful the radical signifier gully successful August.

That should beryllium worthy astir $154 cardinal successful UEFA prize money.

That currency present looks astir indispensable to Chelsea aft a play of lavish transportation spending signed disconnected by American proprietor Todd Boehly.

Chelsea plays a Borussia Dortmund squad 3rd successful the Bundesliga, conscionable 3 points down Bayern, without yet seeming a convincing rubric challenger.

HALLER'S RETURN

Dortmund already has a large comeback story: Sebastien Haller's instrumentality from a crab diagnosis and chemotherapy treatment.

Haller should marque his European debut for Dortmund 8 months since helium was the club's marquee summertime signing to regenerate Erling Haaland.

Haaland had 5 goals for Manchester City successful the group, including successful a 2-1 location triumph implicit Dortmund.

He indispensable hold different week to question backmost to Germany for the archetypal limb against Leipzig.

Liverpool torn isolated by Napoli

DARK HORSES

Napoli and Benfica topped their groups successful November - up of Liverpool and PSG, respectively - to beryllium seeded successful the gully and debar teams similar Madrid, Bayern and Manchester City.

Napoli travels to Eintracht Frankfurt connected February 22 (AEDT), and Benfica plays connected Thursday (AEDT) astatine Brugge.

Both are acceptable up for home titles aft beardown returns from the World Cup break.

Could an elusive Champions League rubric follow?

Benfica has not been European champion since 1962, Napoli ne'er got close.

However, Napoli mostly stayed retired of January trading portion Benfica sold Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea for a British grounds interest of astir $185 million.

Benfica should person capable to destruct Brugge, which fired manager Carl Hoefkens successful December aft mediocre home results contempt overachieving successful the Champions League.

Brugge hired Scott Parker, whose erstwhile crippled had been a 9-0 nonaccomplishment astatine Liverpool successful August with Bournemouth.

Champions League highlights: Barcelona vs Viktoria Plzen

SUPER LEAGUE?

Back successful November, Barcelona and Juventus failed to beforehand retired of the Champions League groups arsenic they and chap Super League rebel Madrid awaited quality of their ineligible situation to UEFA astatine the European Court of Justice successful Luxembourg.

The court's archetypal non-binding sentiment successful December was to disagree with the clubs' assertion that UEFA has monopoly power of European competitions.

The last ruling of 15 judges is expected successful weeks.

Barcelona present leads La Liga and has a stellar crippled this week with Manchester United successful the Europa League knockout playoffs.

Juventus, which hosts Nantes successful the Europa League connected Friday (AEDT), has different issues - a 15 constituent deduction successful Serie A during a transgression probe of alleged mendacious accounting that led to the committee of directors resigning.

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