All the fans at Parc des Princes stadium were holding their breath when the video assistant referee (VAR) checked the offside call.

Lionel Messi, who received a warm welcome from the home crowd as he made his long awaited return to PSG after leading Argentina to World Cup triumph, had just found the back of the net with a calm finish from close range against Angers. But it was initially ruled out for offside before he and fans could properly celebrate.

Fortunately, VAR intervened and after an anxious two-minute wait, the ruling was overturned and Messi's goal was eventually allowed. The team and the entire stadium duly burst with unbridled joy. It was the perfect response after their unbeaten record this season was surprisingly ended at Lens earlier this month.

As World Cup Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe, who struggled to make an impact during the shock defeat, was rested and left out of the match-day squad by coach Christophe Galtier, Messi was tasked with injecting impetus into PSG's campaign and it made all the difference on Wednesday night.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, who only returned to training in Paris a week ago after an extended holiday, lived up to Galtier's pledge that his established big-names would be determined and dynamic right from the start and it paid rich dividends as their aggressiveness obviously unsettled Angers.

Messi was a constant threat in the early stages of the game and controlled proceedings with his trademark dribbling and intelligent passes. During a breathtaking move, he nimbly evaded two defenders before finding Nordi Mukiele, who sent a brilliant cross to the near post and opened the door for Hugo Ekitike to score the opener.

Messi was at the heart of every attacking move in the first half and the 35-year-old subsequently created another glorious chance for Sergio Ramos, but the former Real Madrid legend's effort was denied from point-blank range by an impressive Paul Bernardoni save.

Angers drastically improved after the interval and even carved out a few chances of their own, while PSG found their opponents' defense impossible to break down despite dominating possession as usual.

Messi was subdued during the intense period, but in a moment of magic, he combined with Mukiele and Neymar in a flowing counter attack, before applying a beautiful finish beyond Bernardoni. The wonder strike survived a VAR check and ultimately sealed an important Ligue 1 win. As second-placed Lens were held to a 2-2 draw at Strasbourg, the victory put PSG six points clear at the top of the league table.

It speaks volumes about about Messi's huge impact that even when he is not at his sparkling best, he is still the game's most decisive star. "Messi has recovered well. He is relaxed and in great shape physically, and with Leo the team looks different." beamed Galtier afterwards.

"We are all just getting used to playing together again and you could see at times that we lacked some of the connections between the players that we had more often before the World Cup," he added.

It was always going to be a big ask for Angers to pull off an unlikely upset, but the Ligue 1's bottom side made a good account of themselves in terms of their fighting spirit and defensive organizations. 

PSG, meanwhile, were far from perfect and looked lethargic at times. However, with Messi on their side, everything becomes easier.

You can always count on one of the best players of all time.