Lionel Messi's missed penalty against Real Madrid in the Champions League 2021-22 round of 16 attracted a lot of criticism but Cesc Fabregas has come to the aid of his former teammate. Fabregas reminded everyone not to doubt Messi's quality despite the missed opportunity in the game, which could have potentially handed PSG a two-goal lead going into the second leg of this clash. Messi might have missed a penalty but PSG managed to overcome Los Blancos with Kylian Mbappe scoring a late goal to win it for his side. Fabregas was quoted by Mundo Deportivo, saying, "I have read things from people who must not have seen him play against Real Madrid. Without being stellar, he played a good game. He put Mbappe through on goal in the first half with a pass that none of the other 21 players could've pulled off. He missed a penalty. So what? Judging him for that seems ridiculous to me." Marcus Rashford Reacts to Rumours of Rift Between Him and Cristiano Ronaldo on Social Media

The former Spanish international midfielder further shared how Messi received criticism in Luis Enrique's first year at Camp Nou in 2014/15 and Barcelona ended up with a historic treble. "I remember Luis Enrique's first year [as Barcelona coach] in which Messi was criticised a lot. There was a crisis around that. Then Barcelona won the treble. Now, something similar can happen. I understand that stories have to be sold, but we are talking about a player who can make you eat your words in a second. With Messi, you always have to be careful, just in case. There's plenty more to come." Messi has had a pretty quiet season at PSG as per his standards with only two Ligue 1 goals so far. The Argentine is slowly catching up to what has been a slow start to life in Paris.

Mbappe's strike proved to be the difference-maker between the two sides as PSG are reportedly planning on a lucrative deal to keep the Frenchman at the Parc des Princes. Mbappe has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid and it would be interesting to see how this transfer saga unfolds. The second leg of the PSG vs Real Madrid Champions League 2021-22 round of 16 clash would be played on March 10 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 19, 2022 09:35 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).