Fuming Messi substituted in PSG home debut

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Lionel Messi's location debut for Paris Saint-Germain was acold from however helium would person dreamt it, with the Argentine forward being substituted by Mauricio Pochettino successful the 2nd fractional arsenic his broadside went successful hunt of a winning extremity against Lyon.

Lucas Paqueta had fixed the visiting squad the pb aft 54 minutes, earlier Neymar equalized from the punishment spot conscionable implicit 10 minutes later.

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However, the game's main talking constituent came erstwhile Pochettino opted to regenerate Messi with close backmost Achraf Hakimi with 15 minutes of the lucifer inactive remaining, seemingly to the six-time Ballon d'Or winner's chagrin.

Pochettino and Messi didn't shingle hands and the brace had a little speech arsenic Messi made his mode to the bench.

PSG went connected to triumph the Ligue 1 clash acknowledgment to a Mauro Icardi header from Kylian Mbappé's transverse successful stoppage clip and Pochettino defended his determination to regenerate Messi.

Messi unhappy with the substitution earlier PSG went connected to people the winner. (Twitter)

"I deliberation we each cognize we person large players successful this 35-man squad," Pochettino told reporters.

"Only 11 tin play, we can't play more. The decisions successful the crippled are made for the bully of the squad and each player.

"Every manager thinks astir that. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes players similar it and sometimes they don't. At the extremity of the day, that's wherefore we're here.

"These are decisions that person to beryllium made by the coach. As for his reaction, I asked him however helium was, helium said helium was okay. That was it. That was our exchange."

Messi looked lively astatine times during the lucifer -- hitting the woodwork with a escaped footwear and bringing a astute prevention retired of Anthony Lopes -- but PSG's marquee signing inactive looked acold from being the subordinate fans had go utilized to seeing astatine Barcelona.

The fearsome beforehand 3 of Messi, Neymar and Mbappé volition nary uncertainty request much clip to gel, but Sunday's crippled provided glimpses of the menace they could become.

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