With Serie A getting underway six weeks after Italy’s triumph at Euro 2020, the 2021/22 season is in full swing across Europe.
AFP Sport previews the pick of the action on the continent, as Lionel Messi waits for his Paris Saint-Germain debut, his old club focus on life after the Argentine, and Inter begin their defence of the Scudetto.
Mbappe in the spotlight
Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain, Friday 1900 GMT
While PSG wait for Lionel Messi to make his debut, along with Sergio Ramos and Gianluigi Donnarumma, they have been busy trying to quash speculation about the future of Kylian Mbappe. Will he leave for Real Madrid? Or will he extend his contract which expires after this season?
In the meantime Mbappe has done his talking on the field — while Messi and Neymar are yet to feature this season, the France striker set up four goals in PSG’s first two matches, wins over Troyes and Strasbourg.
On Friday Mauricio Pochettino’s Parisians take on Brest, a club who have not beaten PSG since 1985 and whose entire operating budget would not cover Messi’s annual salary.