Expected, the Lionel Messi-Kylian Mbappé duo is working better and better in recent matches. The duo have exchanged five assists this season, the highest total in the league.
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After unlocking his counter with a hat-trick of assists against Saint-Étienne at the end of last November (1-3), Lionel Messi confirmed his success against the Greens with a double assist last Saturday (3-1) on both goals by Kylian Mbappe. Since the start of 2022, the Parisian number 30 has delivered six assists in five Ligue 1 games and finds himself the best passer in the five major European championships over the period.
The two exchange more and more passes
Since opening the counter in the first leg against ASSE, Lionel Messi has made ten offerings in as many league matches. If we look at the details, the Albiceleste captain has four assists for Kylian Mbappé, the best total of a player for his partner this season. The Bondynois also served him one to the Argentinian against Nantes in November (3-1). The duo then exchanged five assists, the highest total in Ligue 1 this season between two players.
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This connection begins to work wonderfully thanks to a more remote position of Lionel Messi allowing the Argentinian to distill caviar to Kylian Mbappé, often gone deep in the back of the defense, and to eliminate several opponents or break several lines in one transmission. In the last four matches (Lille, Rennes, Nantes and Saint-Étienne), La Pulga made 42 passes to KM7 against 28 in the opposite direction.
If the two prodigies of the round ball finally seem well connected, Neymar must now succeed in “incorporate” in the Parisian offensive combinations. The Brazilian having evolved four seasons with the sevenfold Ballon d’Or at FC Barcelona (2013-2017), the link should quickly be rebuilt, like the goal of number 10 against FC Nantes (3-1) where Lionel Messi had served him perfectly between several defenders in the area of the Canaries, before the talent of Ney ‘does the rest to beat Alban Lafont.
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