Lionel Messi delivered a superb second‑half winner as Paris Saint‑Germain, missing the injured Kylian Mbappé and Neymar, came from behind to beat Toulouse 2‑1 on Saturday and extend their lead at the top of Ligue 1.
Dutch midfielder Branco van den Boomen gave mid‑table Toulouse the lead at the Parc des Princes with a 20th‑minute free‑kick. Near the break, Achraf Hakimi curled in the equaliser, setting the stage for Messi’s decisive strike. Just before the hour mark, Messi fired a first‑time left‑foot shot low into the corner from just outside the area, securing the win. It was his 10th Ligue 1 goal of the season and his 15th for PSG this campaign, highlighting his importance in the absence of the club’s other star attackers.
The Qatar‑owned side are now eight points clear of Marseille, who play Nice on Sunday before hosting PSG in the French Cup last‑16 midweek. Mbappé will miss that cup tie and the Champions League last‑16 first leg against Bayern Munich on February 14, having been ruled out for three weeks with a thigh injury sustained in PSG’s 3‑1 victory at Montpellier last Wednesday.
Comments are closed for this story.