CNN
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Paris Saint-Germain’s miserable season went from bad to worse on Sunday as the team suffered a second consecutive defeat at home with a 1-0 loss to Lyon.
Even before the game started, Lionel Messi bore the brunt of the frustrations of some PSG fans who whistled when his name appeared on the big screen during the starting lineup announcement.
After Alexadre Lacazette missed a first-half penalty, Bradley Barcola’s goal 10 minutes into the second half was enough to earn Lyon all three points on a night when PSG rarely looked like a goal threat for the visiting side.
Lens’ 1-0 victory over Rennes and Marseille’s 1-1 draw with Montepellier means both teams are now just six points behind PSG at the top of Ligue 1, and even the domestic title may slip out of the team’s reach.
The reaction from some fans on Sunday must have felt far from the adulation and worship Messi received during his recent return to Argentina for friendlies against Panama and Curacao as the country continued its World Cup celebrations.
Messi’s arrival at the Parc des Princes was supposed to be the missing piece that would help PSG finally win the Champions League, the trophy the club’s Qatari owners hear about most.
So far, the only major trophy the team has won since Messi joined was Ligue 1 last season, a title – it’s fair to say – PSG would probably have won without him.
Messi has 34 goal contributions in all competitions for PSG this season – 18 goals and 17 assists – second only to 38 from Mbappé and head coach Christophe Galtier refused to lay the blame for the team’s failures at the Argentine’s feet.
“I found him (the stingray) difficult to listen to,” Galtier told reporters, according to The Athletic. “There may be expectations for Messi and Mbappe to unblock difficult situations. Messi tries very hard, they didn’t all work; but around him, the other players also need to do their job.
“We can’t expect everything from Leo and Kylian,” he added.
Up next for PSG is a season-defining week as Galtier’s side travel to a fine side undefeated in 13 games, before welcoming Lentils to the Parc des Princes.
PSG have lost two of their three matches since being dumped from the Champions League by Bayern Munich last month, and only limped past relegation Brest with a 90th-minute winner from Kylian Mbappé.
After his team’s victory, Lyon head coach Laurent Blanc said that the Champions League or Bust mentality had been detrimental to PSG’s performance.
“The problem for Paris is when the No. 1 goal of the Champions League is no longer reachable, it seems like the season no longer exists – and at all levels,” he told reporters.