(Football news) Lionel Messi helped PSG win against Lille after he scored a stunning free kick in added time to earn his team a comeback win on Sunday and lift them five points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table. PSG recently have struggled for consistency since their return from the World Cup break, extending their lead over second-placed Marseille, who traveled to Toulouse and beat them on Sunday.
Messi got a free kick five minutes into stoppage time and the World winner beautifully curled it into the bottom corner to score his 11th league goal of the season and seal the dramatic victory. Lille on the other hand remained fifth as they almost caught the hosts off guard within the first opening 40 seconds when Timothy Weah’s shot took a wicked deflection, but Donnarumma did well and was down fast to save with his legs. PSG grew into the game after an early scare, with Messi hitting the target from a very acute angle after being played through by Neymar.
Christophe Galtier’s team doubled their advantage six minutes later when Neymar easily tapped in a Vitinha cross to finish a very nice move. Lille were creating chances of their own as Jonathan David tested Donnarumma with a bullet header before Bafode Diakite finally scored from a Andre Gomes cross to pull one goal back in the 24th minute. PSG suffered a massive injury blow early in the second half when Neymar was stretchered off with a suspected ankle injury. Lille took advantage of this and won a penalty after Marco Verratti tugged Tiago Djalo in the penalty box as David coolly converted the spot-kick to level the score.
Lille were piling immense pressure on PSG and were rewarded for it when Gomes pinged a long ball into Jonathan Bamba, who smashed his effort past Donnarumma to give his side the much deserved lead. But after that goal the visitors let their intensity drop and they were punished when the ligue 1 top scorer Kylian Mbappe scored from a Juan Bernat’s cross to make it 3-3. Kylian Mbappe, who was making his first start after a two-week injury layoff opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a brilliant piece of individual skill as he went past two opponents and squeezed a shot under keeper Lucas Chevalier.
“The match was not great, we made a lot of mistakes but we have shown that even when the context is not favourable, we can get through. We are a different team, we can get by all the time,” Mbappe told the media .
“It was a crazy match, we quickly scored the first two goals then we relaxed and Lille came back but in the end we were able to raise our heads and win the match,” PSG defender Presnel Kimpembe
Also read: Marcus Rashford scores twice as Manchester United defeat Leicester City
