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Neymar has sent a message to Lionel Messi after his Paris Saint-Germain side were drawn against Barcelona in the Champions League Round of 16 on Monday.
The Brazilian is set to meet Barcelona for the first time since he left for PSG in the summer of 2017. Neymar has reacted to the draw with a photo on Twitter that shows the Brazilian embracing Messi and a caption that reads, “See you soon my friend.”
Nos vemos em breve meu amigo ❤️😍🥺
The first leg of the tie will take place at Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium on February February 16 before the two teams play again in Paris on March 11. The winner of the tie will progress to the quarter-finals of the competition.
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Neymar Set for a Spell Out?
Neymar is expected to be fit for the clash despite being stretchered off during PSG’s 1-0 Ligue 1 defeat to Lyon on Sunday. The Brazilian was injured in stoppage time after a poor tackle from Thiago Mendes. PSG offered an update on his fitness on Monday via their official website.
The medical examinations carried out on Neymar Jr are reassuring following his twisted ankle in Sunday’s game against Lyon. Further examinations will be carried out in 48 hours.
There were initial fears that Neymar could be set for a long spell out and may even have suffered a fractured ankle. However, PSG are hopeful he may only miss three weeks of action, according to L’Équipe.
Neymar remains a key figure for PSG and will certainly not want to miss a reunion with his former team. The 28-year-old has been instrong form in the Champions League this season with six goals in five outings.
Will Messi and Neymar Play Together Again?
The tie between the two giants is made even more interesting by the fact that the futures of both Messi and Neymar remain the subject of much speculation.
Neymar has regularly been linked with a return to the Camp Nou ever since he joined PSG. Yet club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has said recently he is “very confident” Neymar will stay in France and sign a new contract, as reported by AS.
Meanwhile, the Brazilian has said he wants to play with Messi again. He told ESPN Argentina after PSG’s Champions League win over Manchester United, “What I want most is to play with Messi again. I want to enjoy playing with him again on the field, surely next year we have to do it.”
Messi’s contract at Barcelona expires at the end of the season when he will be able to walk away for free. It remains to be seen if the Argentine will leave, but if he does PSG are certainly one of the few clubs who could afford his huge wages.
Neymar and Messi played together the last time Barca faced PSG in the Champions League in 2016-17. It was a memorable tie too with the Brazilian scoring twice in the second leg as Barca overturned a 4-0 deficit to go through 6-5 on aggregate.
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