Lionel Messi will not be winning the Champions League this season, thanks to a defeat in Madrid which left the Paris Saint-Germain star and his teammates bearing the brunt of their fans' frustration, but the competition remains open with the star identifying five top contenders.
Messi and Neymar were booed by PSG fans during the weekend match against Bordeaux, prompting the likes of Luis Suarez and Cesc Fabregas to speak out, while the Parc des Princes was targeted with graffiti. “Football has no memory whatsoever… it’s a shame. Always with you brothers,” Monaco midfielder Fabregas said.
Mauricio Pochettino's side had taken a 1-0 lead to the Bernabeu, and extended their aggregate lead over Real Madrid when Kylian Mbappe scored, but Karim Benzema's hat-trick secured a comeback described as "magic" by Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti. It realised Messi's worst fears of suffering another Champions League humiliation, but the result leaves the Spanish league leaders among the favourites to lift the Champions League trophy. Messi includes them amongst his contenders having outlined the sides he viewed as PSG's biggest threats earlier in the season.
