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FC Lorient manager Christophe Pelissier is excited by the prospect of facing Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in their final Ligue 1 game of 2021.
Pelissier has stated it is a dream for everyone to take on Lionel Messi. He admitted that even at the start of the season he wouldn't have believed the possibility of facing the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.
Speaking to the press ahead of FC Lorient's game against PSG (via PSG Talk), Christophe Pelissier said:
"Facing Messi is a dream for everyone. When I coached Luzenac, I went to see a lot of matches at Camp Nou; in Barcelona. It was exceptional to see Leo Messi play. To face him, we would never have believed it, even at the start of the season."
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The 56-year-old tactician is also pleased to see a player of Lionel Messi's caliber playing in Ligue 1. The FC Lorient manager feels the team's experience would be "expectional" regardless of the result.
"It is an incredible chance to have a player like that in the French championship; we do not realize it. Whatever happens, we will have played against him, and it is exceptional."
FC Lorient are currently 19th in the Ligue 1 standings and are a point behind Troyes outside the relegation zone. They are currently in the midst of an extremely poor run of form having lost seven consecutive games in the league.
PSG, on the other hand, returned to winning ways against AS Monaco on December 13 following a run of two consecutive draws in the league. The Parisian giants are currently top of the Ligue 1 standings, 13 points clear of second-placed Olympique Marseille.
Lionel Messi is expected to lead PSG's attack in the absence of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. Mbappe is suspended for the match while Neymar continues to recover from an ankle injury. In their absence, Mauro Icardi and Angel Di Maria are expected to partner Messi in attack.
Lionel Messi has started to perform well in a PSG shirt
Lionel Messi initially struggled to find consistent form since his free transfer from Barcelona to PSG. However, the 34-year-old forward has now started to show glimpses of his exceptional form from back in La Liga.
Lionel Messi has scored once and assisted five times in the last five Ligue 1 matches this season. Prior to this purple patch, Messi had not made a single goal contribution in the league.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has also been one of PSG's best players in the Champions League. Lionel Messi has scored five goals in as many appearances on the European stage for the Parisian giants.
