Lionel Messi of Paris Saint-Germain in action during the Ligue 1 match against Lille in Paris, France, October 29, 2021. /CFP
Lionel Messi of Paris Saint-Germain in action during the Ligue 1 match against Lille in Paris, France, October 29, 2021. /CFP
Neymar set up Angel Di Maria to score an 88th-minute winner as Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to beat reigning French champions Lille 2-1 on Friday.
With Kylian Mbappe missing and Lionel Messi taken off at half-time, PSG needed captain Marquinhos to equalize in the 74th minute after Jonathan David had given the away side a first-half lead at the Parc des Princes.
Di Maria had set up the equalizer and he then arrived to fire low into the net from Neymar's lay-off and secure a win that allows PSG to extend their lead at the top of Ligue 1 to a massive 10 points over second-placed Lens before the rest of the weekend's games.
It was the third time in four home league games that PSG have come from behind to score a late winning goal, and here it came against a Lille side who are in mid-table after a poor start to their title defense.
Second-placed Lens are in action on Saturday away to Lyon.
Neymar of Paris Saint-Germain reacts during their Ligue 1 match against Lille in Paris, France, October 29, 2021. /CFP
Neymar of Paris Saint-Germain reacts during their Ligue 1 match against Lille in Paris, France, October 29, 2021. /CFP
Messi's goal drought
Meanwhile, Messi was taken off at the interval and is still without a goal after five appearances in Ligue 1. That record is surely not what anyone expected from him when he arrived in August.
The six-time Ballon d'Or winner may have been expected to fill his boots in a league that is often unfairly derided. Perhaps he eventually will start scoring for fun in France, but he will go into November still looking to break his duck.
To be fair Messi has been making an impact in the Champions League, with three goals in three appearances in Europe.
His premature substitution here was almost certainly a precautionary measure ahead of Wednesday's Champions League clash with RB Leipzig in Germany – the Argentinian had been struggling with a minor injury during the week.
Neymar's form has also been a source of concern, and the Brazilian still has just one goal to his name this season, and that from a penalty.
Here the world's most expensive player sometimes cut a frustrated figure and talked his way into a late booking, but that was before he teed up Di Maria for the winner.
Source(s): AFP