Lionel Messi is well and truly back.You know the drill: Messi struggled to reach his usual dizzying heights during his first season at Paris Saint-Germain, but has now rediscovered the form that we became used to seeing from him at Barcelona in his sophomore year.The man himself admitted as such, explaining to Mexican TV station TUDN: "Last year was difficult for me, it was hard after a very big change, after being in the same place for so long."The aim [for this season] is clear to everyone. PSG have been eager for a long time to win the Champions League. The elimination last season was very hard because of how it happened because we played two great games against Real Madrid and the tie was lost in small details."

Messi's stunning second season at PSG

But Messi has undoubtedly adjusted to life in France now, seldom going a single week without dropping a performance in Ligue 1 that gets football fans rubbing their hands together.

With the steady hand of Christophe Galtier in the dugout, Messi is finally clicking with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in the ways that the Parc des Princes faithful were crying out for last season.

As such, Messi now stands with a formidable record of seven goals and eight assists from his first 12 games of a campaign that could well propel him into contention for an astonishing eighth Ballon d'Or next year.

Messi turns on the style vs Nice

And you certainly wouldn't want to rule out the likelihood of that occurring based on the evidence of his latest outing for the French champions against Nice on Saturday night.

Not only did the 35-year-old get the party started in remarkable style with his first free-kick goal for PSG, but he also dropped his umpteen-thousandth stunning overall performance of 2022/23 for good measure.

In fact, it was a particularly mouth-watering display from Messi in regards to his dribbling, which is a facet of his game that has often taken a back seat for playmaking brilliance in the last few weeks.

Messi GiveMeSport shop

Messi GiveMeSport shop

Messi's superb dribbling in Nice win

However, as any fan with any taste at all will know, few things are more beautiful to watch in football than Messi lifting off the handbrake and deciding to go on mazy, individual runs.

And while we'd be lying if we said that Messi was out there replicating his legendary goals against Getafe and Athletic Bilbao during the Nice win, there were most certainly examples of him taking on their defence and midfield all by himself.

Many of his superb runs even leaned into the sort of tenacity and physicality for which Messi is so often underrated, throwing his weight about to ensure that he's not simply bullied off the ball.

So as we all toast Messi playing arguably his finest football since leaving Camp Nou, be sure to take in a selection of his most gorgeous, as well as steely and resilient, runs from the Nice victory down below:

Video: Messi shows his strength with touchline dribble

Video: Messi dribbles through the heart of Nice's midfield

Video: Messi's determination with tricky solo run

Goodness gracious me. Just imagine being ran at and ran at and ran at. You think you've knocked him down, but then no, you're getting ran at and ran at and ran at.

However, if simply watching Messi fly past opposition players like they're not even there isn't good enough to convince you of his glittering form right now, then be sure to check out all his highlights from the match down below:

Video: Messi's individual highlights during PSG 2-1 Nice

You really do get the feeling that Messi is conjuring up a special season.

While, yes, we're never going to see the Argentina icon produce a year akin to his Barcelona peak, PSG fans can rest assured knowing that if he does leave at the end of his contract next summer that they're being provided with a stunning campaign to remember him by.

But even if that wasn't the case, there's just something so special about seeing Messi deciding to lean into his dribbling majesty in any games going forward. He truly is poetry in motion.

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