The draw for the UEFA Champions League knockout stages held in December last year will be remembered for ages.
It was the first time ever that a completed draw had to be cancelled due to technical errors in the system. And, after the entire process was done for the second time, the Champions League knockout stages threw out some very interesting match-ups, none more than Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Madrid.
And, according to a report from ABC, the draw against Real Madrid saw PSG players cheer and celebrate, with no player more delighted than a certain Lionel Messi. The report cites a source from within the club who claims that the former Barcelona captain was left ecstatic by the outcome of the draw.
Messi, who has won four Champions League titles so far in his career, sees this is as the ideal opportunity to capture the trophy for the fifth time and go level with arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who won four with Real Madrid and one with Manchester United.
The report adds that there is confidence within the PSG camp that this is their year thanks to the presence of Messi in their ranks and the form that Kylian Mbappe is displaying so far. All these factors have seen morale get high within Les Parisiens‘ camp, which will only have increased following Messi’s reaction to the draw.
One PSG player who did not celebrate the draw in the dressing room was Sergio Ramos. The former Real Madrid captain knows the club inside out and is aware of the threat they will pose to the French giants’ hopes of going through the next round of the competition.
Messi, however, seems to be relishing the prospect of coming face to face against his old rivals one more time later this season.