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Paris Saint-Germain continued their winning start to the 2021-22 season in Ligue 1 with a 2-0 defeat of Reims.
Kylian Mbappe scored both goals of the evening as Lionel Messi finally made his much-anticipated club debut.
Les Parisiens broke the deadlock just 16 minutes into the match when Mbappe rose the highest to meet a sublime cross from Angel Di Maria.
The home side appeared to have equalized shortly after the break when El Bilal Toure had the ball into the back of the net.
However, it was chalked off for offside play following a VAR check.
Mauricio Pochettino's side continued to push for a second goal and found the same after the hour mark when Mbappe tapped home a lay-off from Achraf Hakimi on the break.
Reims deserve credit for a spirited performance. They may have lost the game but won plenty of respect tonight.
On that note, here are the major talking points:
#1 Messi's PSG debut offered no great shakes
The moment which PSG fans had been desperately waiting for finally arrived tonight as Lionel Messi made his much-anticipated debut for Les Parisiens.
Replacing Neymar, the Argentine came on about 70 minutes into the clash to a loud roar from the thronging spectators. The excitement of watching him in their colors hit fever pitch.
Rather unfortunately though, Messi couldn't mark the occasion with anything special. No goal. No assist. No eye-catching tricks or flicks. Just a lot of running.
Of course, even the greatest player of all time may need some time to settle into completely new surroundings. After all, he has spent the whole of his career so far in just one place.
Messi was also roughed up a bit when on the ball, with Reims players throwing themselves at him in order to stop him. Well, how else can you stop him, right?
The goals are certain to come eventually. No bother.
#2 Reims displayed immense fighting spirit
Despite keeping only 32% of the ball, Reims managed to muster 11 shots in the game, of which four were on target.
Les Rouges et Blancs even had the ball in the back of the net early on in the second-half but were unlucky to have it ruled out for offside.
Not only that, but the hosts also deserve plaudits for a fine performance in the defense too, keeping PSG's stellar attackers at bay, including Lionel Messi.
They closed down the channels with each player showing exquisite man-marking and reading the game brilliantly as the side fought tooth and nail to keep the scoreline respectable.
#3 Mbappe looks unstoppable
While there's a lot of speculation about his future with PSG, there was no doubt about Kylian Mbappe's performance tonight. The Frenchman fired his side to victory by bagging both their goals.
The youngster opened the account with a close-range header, sneaking in between a space in the Reims defense. He latched onto a cross from Di Maria, before bringing up his brace with a tap-in.
He now has 94 goals for PSG in Ligue 1 (131 in all competitions), since joining from AS Monaco in 2017. But could this be his last pair of goals in Parisian colors?
The summer transfer window closes in just over 48 hours and Real Madrid's bid expires after Monday evening. Tik tok, tik tok.
#4 Moreto Cassama packs a punch
Against a side packed with superstars, Moreto Cassama managed to grab a few eyeballs with a confident and coming-of-age performance.
The 23-year-old fireball from Guinea-Bissau demonstrated his expansive passing range and fought valiantly for the ball, taking the Parisien bull by its horns.
He won four of his five ground duels, made two tackles, blocked one shot, and completed 90% of his passes too. Cassama showed real quality tonight.
The midfielder was inexplicably taken off at half-time, robbing his side off their attacking flair. But keep an eye out for him going forward. Lad's the real deal.
#5 PSG juggernaut continues to roll
Four games in, and PSG are the only side in Ligue 1 with a 100% win record so far, their best start to a league campaign since the 2018-19 season.
Whilst it hasn't been the most plain-sailing for them, just like tonight, Mauricio Pochettino's side have managed to scrape through on the back of their attacking firepower.
Following a historic summer of so many top-quality additions, that's the least you can expect, and with Messi finally getting off the mark, it might only get better and more exciting from here.
So far so good, and the fallen champions appear to be on the right track to reclaim their Ligue 1 crown.
