The current Ligue 1 winners Paris Saint-Germain lost a shocking game at the Parc des Princes, 2-0, making Lionel Messi's day even worse. A home loss to Rennes was the Red-and-Blues' second in three games, and they deserved no better after being outclassed from the opening whistle.
Just before halftime, Karl Toko Ekambi gave the visitors the lead by controlling a pass over the top and shooting beyond goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. To make matters worse, ex-PSG player Arnaud Kalimuendo made it 2-0 from a square ball with 42 minutes remaining.
While they may win the league once again, the atmosphere in Paris is far from ideal, as seen by the boos of both Messi and the whole squad after the final whistle. As previously reported, the home crowd was, indeed, vocal in their displeasure with yet another lackluster performance, especially with the Argentine World Cup winner.
What did Junihno say of Lionel Messi prior to Rennes game?
The 35-year-old seemed to have had enough of it by the time the final whistle blew since he immediately went to the locker room. When he left the field, he didn't bother to applaud the home fans, but Kylian Mbappe, who captained the team, made sure to do so.
There are others who dispute Messi's fantastic season with PSG, despite the fact that he has contributed significantly to the team's success with key assists and goals. The fact that the Argentine received boos from the crowd at the Parc des Princes did not come as a surprise to Juninho, a former player for Lyon and the Brazil national team.
The 48-year-old former free-kick specialist predicted the potential outcome and blasted the superstar in the lead-up to the match: "Even if he is Messi, he is still a human being. In the fans' minds, the last game he's in is the Bayern game and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he gets booed.
"We play, we are well paid, we do a job that we really like... but in the end, it is for the fans that we do everything. Even if he is Messi and even if he scored 35 goals this season, it's normal to boo him, the fans have every right to do so. In Ligue 1, they dominate their opponents. What surprises me is the lack of aggressiveness", Juninho told RMC Sport.
