Messi scores maiden objective for PSG in 2-0 win over Man Metropolis

Paris Saint-Germain’s Argentinian ahead Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his crew’s second objective in the course of the UEFA Champions League first spherical group A soccer on September 28, 2021. (Photograph by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)

PARIS– Lionel Messi gave Paris St Germain followers what they got here for as he helped them beat guests Manchester Metropolis 2-0 of their Champions League conflict along with his first objective for his new membership on Tuesday.

The Argentine ahead, who joined PSG on a two-year contract after leaving Barcelona, discovered the highest nook beautifully within the second half so as to add to Idrissa Gueye’s early first-half opener and put the capital membership prime of Group A on 4 factors.

The 34-year-old Messi had been quiet on his fourth look for PSG till he netted on the counter as his hyperlink up play with their France striker Kylian Mbappe bore fruit.

After two video games, Metropolis is third on three factors after its first defeat in a bunch stage sport since 2018 ended an 18-match unbeaten run, a degree behind PSG and Membership Brugge, who gained 2-1 at RB Leipzig.

After sitting two video games out with a bruised knee, Messi began alongside Mbappe and Neymar, and for a very long time it appeared just like the diminutive ahead’s position didn’t match a crew taking part in on the counter assault.

However he struck within the 74th minute along with his 121st objective in Europe’s elite membership competitors, triggering deafening roars from the Parc des Princes crowd who lengthy chanted his identify after he successfully wrapped up the win.

PSG missed probabilities in final season’s 4-1 combination defeat to Metropolis within the semi-finals however this time they went for the kill early on.

With Italy midfielder Marco Verratti additionally again from a knee harm and fellow Euro 2020 champion Gianluigi Donnarumma most popular to Keylor Navas in objective, PSG soaked up early strain and located the online on its first foray into the Metropolis space.

EARLY STRIKE

After our victory in opposition to Manchester Metropolis, President Nasser Al-Khelaïfi went to congratulate the gamers within the locker room ??#??????

pic.twitter.com/UMsc0J2S71

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) September 28, 2021

Within the eighth minute, Mbappe was performed into area and Neymar missed his cutback, however Gueye fired a rising shot into the far prime nook after a fast contact from Kyle Walker’s weak clearance.

PSG appeared unfazed as Metropolis stroked the ball round however they acquired a wake-up name within the twenty sixth minute when Raheem Sterling header’s crashed onto the bar and fell to Bernardo Silva, who hit the bar once more from point-blank vary.

The guests lacked sharpness in entrance of objective and, although Donnarumma needed to make three saves across the half-hour mark, PSG got here nearer to scoring with a counter that ended with Ander Herrera’s shot from Mbappe’s help being tipped over by Ederson.

Donnarumma pulled off one other save to maintain out Ruben Dias’s header after Kevin De Bruyne was luck to flee being despatched off after touchdown on Gueye’s calf along with his studs.

Metropolis utilized extra strain early within the second half and Donnarumma was wanted once more, this time to kick De Bruyne’s low angled shot away.

PSG’s counter assaults all the time threatened, nevertheless, and within the sixty fifth minute Neymar was performed by way of by Messi, just for the Brazil ahead to shoot large with Mbappe ready for a cross on the left.

Then it was Messi’s time to shine.

The Argentine dribbled in direction of the field and slipped the ball to Mbappe, who flicked it again into his teammate’s path for Messi to strike it into the highest nook.

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