PSG's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring the winning goal during their clash with Lille at the Parc des Princes stadium, in Paris, France, February 19, 2023. /CFP
PSG's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring the winning goal during their clash with Lille at the Parc des Princes stadium, in Paris, France, February 19, 2023. /CFP
Lionel Messi scored a 95th-minute free kick to give Paris Saint-Germain a 4-3 win over Lille in an extraordinary Ligue 1 game on Sunday in which Kylian Mbappe scored twice, but Neymar was taken off on a stretcher with an ankle injury.
Messi's last-gasp winner came after PSG had squandered a two-goal lead and fallen 3-2 behind, with Mbappe grabbing a late equalizer before the Argentine's stunning strike.
The result ends a run of three straight defeats for PSG and ensures they end the weekend as they started it, five points clear of second-placed Marseille, who won 3-2 at Toulouse and host the Parisians next.
"We came through it. It wasn't a great performance," Mbappe told reporters. "We made lots of mistakes and lost concentration too often, and against a quality side, you pay dearly for that, but we showed that even when we are not at our best, and the context is not exactly favorable, we are a different team with different players and we can always find a way."
PSG's Lionel Messi is celebrated by Kylian Mbappe and Presnel Kimpembe (R) during their clash with Lille at the Parc des Princes stadium, in Paris, France, February 19, 2023. /CFP
PSG's Lionel Messi is celebrated by Kylian Mbappe and Presnel Kimpembe (R) during their clash with Lille at the Parc des Princes stadium, in Paris, France, February 19, 2023. /CFP
Monaco followed up their 3-1 victory over PSG last weekend by winning 2-1 in Brest to sit two points behind Marseille in third.
Aleksandr Golovin and Myron Boadu scored for the principality side, with Jeremy Le Douaron pulling one back.
Fourth-placed Lens were 3-1 winners against Nantes, while Rennes moved back above Lille into fifth by beating Clermont 2-0, ex-PSG forward Arnaud Kalimuendo scoring both of their goals.
There were also wins for Lorient and Montpellier, while Strasbourg moved out of the relegation zone on Saturday by beating bottom side Angers 2-1 on new coach Frederic Antonetti's debut.
Robert Lewandowski (C) of Barcelona celebrates with teammates during their clash with Cadiz CF at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain, February 19, 2023. /CFP
Robert Lewandowski (C) of Barcelona celebrates with teammates during their clash with Cadiz CF at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain, February 19, 2023. /CFP
In Spain, Robert Lewandowski and Sergi Roberto's goals helped Barcelona beat Cadiz 2-0 and restore their eight-point lead at the top of La Liga.
Elsewhere, Antoine Griezmann's superb strike helped Atletico Madrid earn a 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao to tighten their grip on fourth place.
Champions Real Madrid's win at Osasuna on Saturday pulled them closer to Xavi Hernandez's Barca, who had one eye on Thursday's Europa League play-off second leg against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
However, an inspired Ferran Torres helped Sergi Roberto to break the deadlock, and Lewandowski added a second to leave Cadiz, 17th, two points above the relegation zone.
The visitors had two Roger Marti goals disallowed and made Barcelona uncomfortable at times at Camp Nou, but their victory rarely seemed in doubt.
Manchester United's Marcus Rashford reacts after scoring his side's second goal during their clash with Leicester City at the Stamford Bridge stadium in Manchester, England, February 19, 2023. /CFP
Manchester United's Marcus Rashford reacts after scoring his side's second goal during their clash with Leicester City at the Stamford Bridge stadium in Manchester, England, February 19, 2023. /CFP
In England, Erik ten Hag said Marcus Rashford helped Manchester United recover from a "rubbish" start as the England forward's double inspired a 3-0 win against Leicester.
Rashford has been the key to United's impressive form in Ten Hag's first season, and the England forward proved too hot for Leicester to handle at Old Trafford.
"Leicester played brilliant in the first half, but second we were rubbish. We were really inconsequential, undisciplined. It was only by David de Gea that we kept our clean sheet," Ten Hag said. "We repaired some stuff, and the second half was brilliant. It was the way I wanted to see our team playing."
Rashford has now scored 24 times in all competitions for United this season, the highest goal tally he has ever managed in a single campaign.
United sit third in the table, just five points behind leaders Arsenal, after a third win in their last four league matches.
Source(s): AFP