Pochettino: Its a big night for Lionel Messi

Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino has described tonight’s potentially epic Champions League round of 16 first leg against Real Madrid, as a big night for Lionel Messi.

The two sides meet at the Parc des Princes with the eyes of the football world firmly on the contest.

No player in history has scored more goals against Real Madrid than Messi, with the Argentine magician netting 26 times for Barcelona before his move to Paris.

Pachettino believes the 7-time World Player of the Year will be decisive tonight.

“The team is doing well; we don’t really need to talk about form. There’s a lot of motivation for this game; all the players are highly motivated. Lionel Messi is in good shape and showing a lot of desire. It’s a big night for him with his talent and his experience,” Pochettino said ahead of the clash.

“We want to have things clear in our minds and be certain that we’re doing the right thing. We can share things with the players so that we’re in agreement, but the most important thing during these last three days of training is to be sure that we’re going in the right direction. That’s key, as we’ve got the talent. I think that with our qualities, we can exploit Real Madrid’s weaknesses and counteract their strong points,” he added.

 

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