Suspended Neymar out of Montpellier clash

 

Newly crowned Ligue 1 champions, Paris Saint-Germain will have to play their final 2021-2022 league fixture away at Montpellier Hérault SC without Brazilian superstar Neymar Jr.

Neymar won’t feature in the clash due to suspension.

Having regained their Ligue 1 Uber Eats title three weeks ago after a 1-1 draw at home to RC Lens, Mauricio Pochettino’s men are just playing for formality. The result won’t matter, but a top club like PSG won’t want humiliation.

In the game that secured the title for the Paris club, Lionel Messi opened the goals account with a wondergoal, but Lens restored parity through Corentin Jean.

Since then, they are yet to record a win, drawing the next two games since – 3-3 at RC Strasbourg Alsace and then 2-2 at home to ESTAC Troyes on Sunday.

With formality to play for, and second-placed Olympique de Marseille behind them with over 10 points, it hasn’t mattered much.

It won’t be surprising here if PSG suffers in attack as Messi has been misfiring. Now that  Neymar, who was injured, is out, Pochettino will have to hope that the Argentine and Kylian Mbappe, who is reportedly on the verge of joining Real Madrid, do the needful.

PSG has not been lucky with Neymar after signing a new deal. The Brazilian was only able to play a few games this season, missing a staggering 16.

Speaking on Messi’s form ahead of the game, the manager said it was due to bad luck. Pochettino, who described the result against Troyes as unbelievable, said the team could’ve won the game on that last play, where Messi’s shot hit the bar.

While noting that he remains a top-quality player, Pochettino thinks the six-time world footballer of the year is suffering from bad luck this season.

The consolation for Messi will be his 13 assists,  with his overall goal involvement being one in every 116 minutes he has played.

He is now expected to lead the line alongside Mbappé and Angel Di Maria.

 

Written by: Oladipupo Mojeed