Lionel Messi: "Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain are the best"

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has admitted that Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are currently the teams to beat following their impressive starts to the season.

The Citizens have made the best start of any side in Premier League history, racking up 34 points from the first 36 on offer and scoring 40 goals in the process.

PSG, meanwhile, have lived up to the pre-season hype by dropping points in just two of their opening 13 matches, netting an unrivalled 43 goals.

Both teams are also comfortably through to the last 16 of the Champions League, where they will almost certainly avoid a meeting with fellow big boys Barcelona, and Messi is keen to dodge both sides - as well as domestic rivals Real Madrid - further down the line.

"City are one of the strongest teams at the moment, along with PSG," he is quoted as saying by Marca. "They've been the two strongest teams up to this point, but it's a very long season.

"I never dismiss Real Madrid for what they have and their experience, even though now they aren't getting the results people expect. Bayern Munich, too. They're another big team that will be there at the end of the season, but it's true that, today, City and PSG are the best."

Like Man City and PSG, Barcelona top their domestic league after making a fast start under Ernesto Valverde.