Lionel Messi played his debut match for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Sunday night.
He produced a solid performance during the first half of the match against Lyon at the Parc des Princes.
However, Messi, who joined PSG after leaving Spanish giants Barcelona, was subbed off by PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino just 14 minutes before the end.
The reaction of Messi after being subbed off has gone viral over social media. While on the way to the benches, Messi did not shake hands with the manager.
https://twitter.com/messiprimes/status/1439687274330042371
After watching the events in Paris, fans on Twitter went insane, with Messi’s reaction becoming a significant talking point on social media.
https://twitter.com/Jesse__Lingard_/status/1439867011555807238
https://twitter.com/kwamebenaiah/status/1439697869183795207
PSG wins a penalty against OL ..but Pochettino gives it to Neymar while Messi has not scored yet .then moves forward to substitute hi pic.twitter.com/n188R51tBR
— Youte (@naya_biggie) September 19, 2021
Messi was the best player on the pitch, and Pochettino chose to sub him out. Absolutely ridiculous.#PochettinoOUT pic.twitter.com/oAOGCgws4a
— José Henrique #LM8 (@josephsn_7) September 19, 2021
Messi was replaced with the new signing in Achraf Hakimi after the scores were tied at 1-1. However, it was Mauro Icardi, who is also from Argentina, who led PSG to a 2-1 victory against Lyon.
The win helped them secure six wins in a row in the French Ligue. PSG is currently leading the points table with 18 points.
After the match, Pochettino defended his decision to take off Messi.
“Everyone knows we have great players, a squad of 35. It is my decision. We can only have 11 players on the field at one time,” Pochettino said.
“I only think about the best decision in each game, for each player, just as every coach does.
“We are here to make decisions. Sometimes people will be happy with them, sometimes they won’t be.”
