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Sunday 19 February 2023 at 16:06 GMT
Lionel Messi struck a stunning free-kick in added time to give Paris Saint-Germain a 4-3 comeback against Lille and put them eight points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table.
PSG, who have been struggling for consistency since returning from a World Cup break, extended their lead over second-placed Marseille, who travel to Toulouse later on Sunday.
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Lille, who remains fifth, almost caught the hosts off guard in the first 40 seconds when Timothy Weah’s low shot was deflected viciously, but Gianluigi Donnarumma was quick on the ground to save with his legs.
PSG quickly grew into the game after the early scare, with Messi scoring from a tight angle after being passed through by Neymar.
Kylian Mbappé, making his first start after a two-week injury layoff, opened the scoring with a brilliant one-off in the 11th minute, passing two opponents and putting pressure on a shot from under goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier.
“The game wasn’t great, we made a lot of mistakes, but we showed that we can progress even under unfavorable conditions. We’re a different team, we always come through,” Mbappé told Prime Video.
Christophe Galtier’s side doubled their lead six minutes later when Neymar tapped in a Vitinha cross to end a flowing move.
Lille were far from passive, however, as Jonathan David tested Donnarumma with a header before Bafodé Diakité deflected in an André Gomes cross to parry one of them in the 24th minute.
PSG suffered a blow early in the second half when Neymar was placed on a stretcher with a suspected ankle injury.
Lionel Messi scores Paris Saint-Germain’s winner with a signature free-kick. Photo: Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images
Lille won a penalty after Marco Verratti pulled Tiago Djaló’s jersey and David coolly converted the free-kick to level.
Lille put on the pressure and were rewarded when Gomes put a long ball into the feet of Jonathan Bamba, who smashed his shot past Donnarumma to put his side ahead.
The visitors dropped their intensity and were punished when Mbappé converted a Juan Bernat cross to make it 3-3.
Messi won a free-kick five minutes into injury time and the Argentine rolled it into the bottom corner to score his 11th league goal of the season and seal a dramatic victory for PSG.
“It was a crazy game, we scored the first two goals quickly, then we relaxed and Lille came back, but in the end we were able to lift our heads and win the game,” said PSG defender Presnel Kimpembe.
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