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Lionel Messi’s injury-time free-kick propelled Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Lille at the Parc des Princes on Sunday afternoon (19 February).
The result saw PSG return to winning ways following consecutive defeats to Marseille, Monaco, and Bayern Munich. They currently have a five-point lead over second-placed Marseille at the top of the Ligue 1 table.
PSG endured a nervy start at the Parc des Princes on Sunday, with Lille enjoying most of the ball in the opening exchanges. Despite their dominance, Lille found themselves a goal down after only 11 minutes of play, with Kylian Mbappe scoring superbly following a swift PSG counter-attack.
The hosts got wind under their wings after the opener and swiftly doubled their tally in the 17th minute, courtesy of an improvised finish from Neymar. The ball initially got away from the Brazilian superstar, but Vitinha was there to collect it and feed it back to him. Neymar made no mistake in turning it in for the second time.
In the 24th minute, Andre Gomes delivered an inch-perfect cross into the PSG box. An unmarked Bafode Diakite headed it in from close range. Having got themselves a lifeline, Lille kept pushing for the equalizer in the second half. Their effort paid off in the 56th minute when Jonathan David converted from the spot after Marco Verratti pulled Tiago Djalo inside the box.
With roughly 20 minutes left on the clock, Jonathan Bamba completed the turnaround from Lille. Gomes found Bamba with a long ball from deep, and the winger applied a sumptuous finish to beat Gianluigi Donnarumma.
When most counted PSG out of the contest, Mbappe equalized in the 87th minute, applying a side-footed finish to Juan Bernat’s cutback, setting the game up for a grandstand finish. With the stage set, 2022 FIFA World Cup winner Messi stole the show at the death, scoring an unstoppable free-kick to win the game for the Parisians.
As the scoreline suggests, it was not a straightforward affair for PSG, with some of their stars putting on a show while others struggled. Here are three PSG players who impressed and two who ought to have done better against Lille:
Performed: Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi endured a relatively quiet game on Sunday afternoon. However, the Argentine superstar stepped up to the plate when it mattered the most, scoring the winner in an emphatic fashion.
In the 93rd minute, Benjamin Andre brought Messi down outside the area, courtesy of the 35-year-old's brilliant change of pace. Messi stepped up to take the resulting free-kick, whipping in a curler that clattered against the inside-right post and went in.
An exceptional free-kick aside, Messi played three key passes, created a big chance, and won five ground duels.
Underperformed: Marco Verratti
PSG’s midfield maestro Marco Verratti was way below his sensational best against Lille. His distribution was not up to the mark as he struggled to match Lille’s intensity, and conceded a cheap penalty by dragging Djalo down in the 56th minute. David made no mistake in converting the spot kick and drawing Lille level.
Against Lille, the Italy international lost possession 16 times, committed three fouls and misplaced all three of his attempted long balls. Verratti also lost nine duels and was dribbled past once.
Performed: Neymar
Neymar had to be stretchered off the field after picking up an ankle injury just minutes into the second half. Prior to his unfortunate injury, Neymar dropped a masterclass, scoring a goal and assisting another.
In the 11th minute, Neymar released Mbappe down the left channel. The Frenchman took it in his stride, cut in, and applied a sumptuous finish to give PSG the lead. The Brazilian then turned scorer just six minutes later, cleverly turning in Vitinha’s cutback from close range.
The former Barcelona superstar created two big chances, completed two dribbles, won four of six ground duels, and played two key passes on Sunday. He also delivered two accurate long balls, drew two fouls, and made an interception.
Underperformed: Sergio Ramos
Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos failed to use his abundance of experience to keep the Lille attackers in check on Sunday. The Spaniard could not cut out the passing lanes, rarely ventured forward, and completely lost Diakite for Lille’s opener. Gomes’ cross was excellent, but a player of Ramos’ caliber should have done better to track it and cover the striker lurking behind him.
Over the course of the game, Ramos lost possession six times, misplaced two long balls, and dribbled past once.
Performed: Kylian Mbappe
Messi may have scored the winner, but Kylian Mbappe was easily the best player on the pitch against Lille. In the 11th minute, he superbly pushed the ball between two Lille defenders and applied a sumptuous finish mere yards away from the onrushing keeper.
Mbappe doubled his money in the 87th minute, smartly putting away Juan Bernat’s cutback from the center of the box. The brace took Mbappe’s goal tally to 27 for the season, in only 28 matches across competitions.
The pair of goals aside, Mbappe completed all six of his attempted dribbles, winning eight of nine ground duels, playing one key pass, delivering an accurate cross, and drawing two fouls.
