Barcelona media: “Messi’s Champions League nightmare continues”

Lionel Messi’s return to Spain did not end well as his Paris Saint-Germain team were sent packing from the UEFA Champions League by Real Madrid on Wednesday night.

PSG came into the second leg of their Round of 16 tie with a 1-0 advantage thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s late strike at Parc des Princes last month. Even though Messi had seen a penalty get saved in that encounter, it had ended on a positive note for him and the Parisian giants.

And when Mbappe wheeled away in celebration 30 minutes in at the Santiago Bernabeu, after beating Thibaut Courtois, things looked bright for Messi & co. However, it all went downhill from that point on for the Ligue 1 leaders.

A stunning second-half comeback, led by the brilliant Karim Benzema and his hat-trick, ended PSG’s run in this season’s Champions League.

And, as SPORT reports, ‘Messi’s Champions League nightmare continues’. The 34-year-old wanted to continue at Barcelona last summer but was forced out due to the club’s poor financial situation.

Many clubs were lining up to sign the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, but he opted to choose PSG. One of the main motivations for the Argentine international to do so was that he believed he could win the Champions League trophy with Les Parisiens.

Messi has not laid his hands on the coveted European title since 2015 when Barcelona last won it under Luis Enrique. The superstar chose PSG because he believed joining forces with Neymar, Mbappe, Marco Verratti and other world-class superstars could help him realise the dream of lifting the trophy again.

However, it all ended in disappointment and humiliation for PSG, as Messi’s wait for another Champions League trophy continues. There was no magic for the little magician on his return to the Santiago Bernabeu as he made it nine games without a goal or an assist against Real Madrid.