Lionel Messi points fingers at referees yet avoids punishment, says Marco Verratti

The Italian, who was sent off in the Champions League defeat to Real Madrid, admitted his own attitude needs to approve after picking up a second yellow for dissent.

However, the Italian believes had Barcelona forward Messi reacted that way, then the referee would have turned a blind eye to it.

The Italy midfielder said he felt Messi would have got away with that reaction, but stressed that he had been mistaken to respond as he did.

"I got it wrong against Real, but it was a red card out of frustration and sometimes referees could be more tolerant," Verratti told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"It was a bad reaction but I didn't insult anybody, whereas Messi goes around pointing his finger in the referee's face and doesn't even get punished. But anyway, I need to improve."

PSG ultimately lost 5-2 in the last 16 to Real on aggregate, but Verratti believes it would have been closer had Neymar been fit for the return leg.

"PSG are not that far away from Real Madrid," he said. "We were convinced we could go through, but then certain incidents make the difference.

"It [being without Neymar] is like taking Messi away from Barcelona -- they are players who make up 30 percent of a team. We're lucky to have him. He cost a lot because he's phenomenal."