Following Manchester City's 2-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night, Pep Guardiola has declared his love for one of the French giants' players, and it is not Lionel Messi.
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The Premier League champions enjoyed an impressive performance against PSG in terms of possession and chances created, but ultimately walked away from the UEFA Champions League Group A encounter without a point.
Goals from Idrissa Gueye and Messi secured victory for Mauricio Pochettino's men, with the two strikes coming on either side of the half-time break.
Speaking after the game, Guardiola reserved special praise for midfielder Marco Verratti, whom he thought was "exceptional" during the first 45 minutes.
"I'm in love with him. He is exceptional," he said, according to Goal.
"Even under pressure, he manages to find those passes that allow the midfield to be free.
"He's not a player for long passes but you can always count on him to build the game.
"We managed to control him better in the second half, but in the first half he was really exceptional."
The 28-year-old joined PSG from Italian side Pescara in 2012 and has since made 349 appearances for the French club.
Here is how Messi celebrated his first goal for PSG on Tuesday:
