Lionel Messi 'Showed Kylian Mbappe How It's Done' In Warm-Up, He Was Stunned

Lionel Messi left Kylian Mbappe stunned with a perfectly placed free-kick in a warm-up, with the Frenchman's priceless reaction captured on camera.

Messi hasn't quite reached his usual dizzying heights after moving to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, with seven goals and nine assists in all competitions.

But the seven-time Ballon d'Or' winner's teammates are well aware of what he can do with a football at his feet.

A video on YouTube from a couple of weeks ago has garnered just short of 4 million views thanks to some utter pre-match brilliance from Messi.

Ahead of the 1-0 Ligue One win over Rennes, where Mbappe scored the only goal in the 93rd minute, the World Cup winner was left in awe by Messi's quality.

A slew of players were taking free-kicks when Messi decided to put on a masterclass.

The Argentine is easily the best set-piece taker in world football and he curled two efforts into the top bins with perfect precision.

And Mbappe was in utter disbelief, with he and midfielder Marco Verratti both producing superb facial expressions.

You'll notice there was a little finger point from Messi, who knew exactly where he was going to put the ball.

Image: PA

His accuracy from dead-ball situations is simply ridiculous. He's scored 58 free-kicks in his career - 50 for Barcelona and eight for Argentina - from all different ranges and angles using the same meticulous preparation and effective technique.

Messi's leg when taking a free-kick has an angle of 50 degrees. He plants almost his entire boot on the ground before hitting the ball, giving him stability and control in the shot.

Then, to improve his accuracy, Messi arches his shoulders and chest to caress the ball, hunching his body into a more compact position.

Image: PA

In recent years defenders have even started scrambling back to the goal-line, which is perhaps the biggest compliment to Messi's free-kick prowess.

He's yet to score one for PSG but you sense it's coming soon.

Topics: Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Paris Saint-Germain, Ligue 1

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

@joshlawless_