Watch: Lionel Messi scores sensational late free kick to hand PSG the win against Lille
Lionel Messi once again showed the world why he is considered to be one of the greatest players to ever lace up his boots, scoring from a free kick right at the death to give Paris Saint Germain (PSG) a narrow 4-3 victory against Lille on Sunday.
Messi, who was kept uncharacterically quiet the Lille defense throughout the match, stepped up when it mattered as his set piece beat the wall, struck the post and went in, giving Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier no chance of saving it.
The 95th minute goal lifted PSG to eight points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 standings. Hosts PSG started strongly and Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a brilliant piece of individual skill, ghosting past two opponents and squeezing a shot under keeper Chevalier.
LIONEL MESSI QUI SAUVE LE CLUB LE GOAT EST LA pic.twitter.com/HDPdD9Ig2Q
— 🇦🇲 (@Armeniesta) February 19, 2023
Chrophe Galtier’s side doubled their lead when Neymar tapped in a Vitinha cross, but Lille were far from passive as Bafode Diakite nodded home an Andre Gomes cross to pull one back in the 24th minute.
PSG suffered a blow early in the second half when forward Neymar was taken off on a stretcher with a suspected ankle injury.
Lille won a penalty after Marco Verratti tugged Tiago Djalo’s shirt and Jonathan David coolly converted the spot-kick to level the scores.
Lille piled on the pressure and were rewarded when Gomes pinged a long ball into the feet of Jonathan Bamba, who smashed his effort past Donnarumma to give his side the lead.
The visitors let their intensity drop, however, and they were punished when Mbappe turned in Juan Bernat’s cross to make it 3-3 before Messi’s free kick five minutes into stoppage time sealed a dramatic victory for PSG.
(With Reuters inputs)
