Saint-Etienne 1-3 PSG: 5 talking points as Lionel Messi wizardry guides Parisians to a comeback victory | Ligue 1 2021-22

#3 Neymar's bad luck with injuries continues

Neymar's time at PSG has been hit by injuries since his record-breaking switch from Barcelona in 2017. The Brazilian has missed roughly 100 games in all competitions for the French giants.

For context, he's played 130 games for the Parisians so far, which means Neymar has been sidelined for over 40% of their games. Now he's set to face an extended period on the sidelines again.

The 29-year-old twisted his ankle in a horrific injury during the match and had to be stretchered off. According to reports, he'll be out for six weeks, but it could be longer after further examinations.

---

#2 Messi magic eclipses Sergio Ramos debut

All eyes were on Sergio Ramos as the Spaniard finally made his long-awaited debut for PSG. But it was Lionel Messi who stole the thunder with his playmaking brilliance.

The GOAT was at heart of all three of their goals on the day, bagging a hat-trick of assists to inspire a comeback victory.

He laid an excellent free-kick for Marquinhos to head home the equalizer before making another cross for his second. But Messi's pass for Di Maria's strike was truly delightful and the best of the bunch.

The No.30 is the first Ligue 1 player this season to make three assists in a single league game, while this was also the fifth time in his career that he's recorded such a feat.

Messi hasn't had the best start to life in Paris since his sensational transfer from Barcelona in the summer, but performances like this will give PSG fans cause for optimism.

---

#1 PSG weren't at their dominant best

PSG eventually got what they had come to St-Etienne for, but Mauricio Pochettino wouldn't be too happy with their performance, especially in the opening stanza.

The visitors dominated possession like they almost always do, but didn't exactly make that dominance count, lacking the killer instinct to grab the game by the scruff of the neck.

Messi's creative brilliance stole the show but it won't eclipse how PSG struggled to break down a dogged home side, while Mbappe also missed a few good chances in the match.

It was a scrappy victory at the end with bad weather conditions in the second period further making their life difficult. But given the quality in the squad, the performances will surely improve.