LIGUE 1
PSG 4-3 Lille match report, summary, goals, highlights | Ligue 1
Messi got the winning goal of the fantastic comeback that saw both sides take the lead in a crazy game.
A last-minute goal is the anti-christ of the press box, the absolute epiphany of evil, something that causes journalists up and down the gangway to rip up digital copies of metaphors and analogies of teams and players that have been sculpted for 90 minutes. Everything gets thrown into the dark void of the internet, never to be seen again. But what if you could see into the future? What if you could know if a last-minute goal was going to go in?
Never write a match report before the final whistle, unless Messi is on the pitch.
A crazy game with a crazier ending
It all looked so calm at first. On 11 minutes, Mbappé sent eyes falling out sockets across Paris as he received the ball on the left before two step overs had the effect of a whirring cuttlefish, vigorously pulsating colour in order to confuse predators. The two defenders tiptoed backwards, frozen, thinking about whether or not to join hands and go in together to try and stop him. But Mbappé had already slid the ball through the legs one of the defenders and poked a shot underneath the charging goalkeeper to make it one nil.
Lille charge ahead
The second goal came not long after, when Neymar got on the end of a scramble in the box to tap past the goalkeeper. Not as glamorous as Mbappé's, but worth just as much.
Then the comeback started. André Gomes’ wonderful cross was met by Diakité, who headed in wonderfully past Donnarumma. Then off came the wheels. Galtier has been under mounting pressure this season after a poor record in the post-World Cup period, and has seen rebellious acts from Neymar dominate the headlines, as well as a potential move to Chelsea for the Brazilian.
The wheels come off
But when the stretcher came out to carry Neymar off after suffering an ankle injury, nobody in the world wanted him on the PSG pitch more than Galtier, who no doubt could feel the direction of the wind changing inside the stadium.
Jonathan David’s second half penalty, given after Verratti held onto the shirt of a defender, levelled the score. Ten minutes later, another Jonathan, this time Bamba, smacked the ball into the back of the net after another André Gomes assist.
We all love M&Ms, especially PSG fans
And then the two Ms came along to save the day. First up, it was Kylian Mbappé, who got on the end of Juan Bernat’s ball to draw level and give some hope to the PSG manager, who was surely already thinking of where he left his phone charger so he can pack it in his bag.
Then, of course, the cheat code. Messi was brought down in a counter attack that became the theme of the final minutes after a mixture of tired legs and broken tactics sent the game into madness. The free-kick was around 30 yards out, in a central position, and Messi’s left foot whipped round the ball and sent it low into the far corner of the goal. But we all knew he was going to score and save the day, because that’s what he does.
PSG play Bayern Munich on March 8 in the UEFA Champions League; they are currently 8 points clear at the top of Ligue 1.
- 99 Gianluigi Donnarumma
- 25 Nuno Mendes (30')
- 29 Timothee Pembele (74')
- 4 Sergio Ramos
- 3 Kimpembe
- 8 Fabián (74')
- 17 Vitor Ferreira (74')
- 6 Verratti
- 10 Neymar (50')
- 7 Kylian Mbappe x2
- 30 Messi
- Substitutes
- 28 Carlos Soler (74')
- 44 Hugo Ekitike (50')
- 31 El Chadaille Bitshiabu
- 35 Ismaël Gharbi
- 33 Warren Zaïre-Emery (74')
- 90 Alexandre Letellier
- 15 Danilo Pereira (74')
- 16 Sergio Rico
- 14 Bernat (30')
- 30 Lucas Chevalier
- 18 Bafode Diakite (65')
- 3 Tiago Djalo
- 6 Fonte (13')
- 22 Tim Weah
- 21 Andre
- 17 Cabella (87')
- 28 André Gomes
- 7 Jonathan Bamba
- 20 Angel Gomes (87')
- 9 Jonathan David
- Substitutes
- 5 gabriel Gudmundsson (65')
- 23 Edon Zhegrova
- 26 Alan Virginius (87')
- 25 Costil
- 4 Alexsandro Ribeiro
- 35 Carlos Baleba (87')
- 15 Leny Yoro (13')
- 8 Jonas Martin
- 16 Adam Jakubech
Substitutions
Leny Yoro (13', José Fonte), Juan Bernat (30', Nuno Mendes), Hugo Ekitike (50', Neymar), Gabriel Gudmundsson (65', Bafodé Diakité), Danilo Pereira (74', Fabián Ruiz), Carlos Soler (74', Timothée Pembélé), Warren Zaïre-Emery (74', Vitinha), Carlos Baleba (87', Rémy Cabella), Alan Virginius (87', Angel Gomes)
Goals
1-0, 10': Kylian Mbappe, 2-0, 16': Neymar, 2-1, 23': Bafode Diakite, 2-2, 57': Jonathan David, 2-3, 68': Jonathan Bamba, 3-3, 86': Kylian Mbappe, 4-3, 94': Messi
Cards
Referee: Willy Delajod
VAR Referee: Alexandre Castro, Mathieu Vernice
Bafode Diakite (44',Yellow) Verratti (55',Yellow) Jonathan Bamba (62',Yellow) Kylian Mbappe (76',Yellow) Jonathan David (88',Yellow) Galtier (89',Yellow) Andre (92',Yellow)
