Ligue 1 – 22nd day: Lionel Messi gives victory to PSG against Toulouse (2-1)

This time they didn’t share the points at home. Saturday afternoon, opening the 22nd day of Ligue 1, the Parisians overthrew Toulouse at the Parc des Princes (2-1). Achraf Hakimi and Lionel Messi responded to Branco van den Boomen’s free-kick opener in the first half. PSG continues its series of invincibility at home and puts an end to that of the TFC which had been running for seven games. Only problem: Renato Sanches added his name to the residents of the infirmary.

An ideal success to start the decisive marathon in February. Before the double confrontation with Olympique de Marseille and the knockout stages of the Champions League against Bayern Munich, the club from the capital came to the end of the frisky Toulouse. Undefeated for seven games, the latter thought they had done the hardest part by creating a surprise after 20 minutes.

Cornered in defense, they opened the scoring on their first attempt on target. You should have seen the faces of the Parisians when El Chadaille Bitshiabu conceded a free kick near the surface and Branco van den Boomen grabbed the ball. The Dutchman, who had still not set his sights in this exercise this season, took Gianluigi Donnarumma on the wrong foot, opting for an open side shot (0-1, 20th).

A calm PSG and master of time

For the fifth time this season, Christophe Galtier and his men conceded the opener. However, they remained calm and in control of their emotions, which is to be welcomed since they had previously recorded the injury exit of Renato Sanches. Hit in the back of the thigh (10th), the Portuguese left the field in tears.

Lionel Messi took matters into his own hands and was dangerous in small spaces. Efficiency fled him for a long time and he was very close to turning into a passer if he failed to shake the nets in the first period. His inbound corner was headed by Marquinhos and the post saved Maxime Dupé (34th).

An action heralding three minutes of madness. Toulouse believed to score the break goal through Zakaria Aboukhlal, but the Moroccan was offside at the start of the action (35th). The adrenaline rush was complicated to digest since Téfécé gave in on the counter-attack and the only moment of deconcentration for Philippe Montanier’s men: failing to see his crosses taken over by Hugo Ekitike, invisible on Saturday afternoon, Hakimi equalized with a nice praline from the left in the small net of Dupé (1-1, 37th).

Messi as a savior

The Toulouse block went up a notch in the second half, determined to seize the rare opportunities left by the capital club, but it was trapped by Messi. The Argentinian took advantage of a breakthrough from Hakimi to score his 10th goal in L1 with a shot placed from the left (2-1, 57th). The mass was said, and the score could have been heavier if the world champion had not hit the post at the end of the game (90th + 4). Just before, Gigio Donnarumma had avoided the opposing equalizer with a reflex save on a close range shot.

His team deprived at the dawn of huge duels with OM and Bayern Munich (Neymar, Mbappé, Ramos, Kimpembe, Mukiele and therefore Sanches are injured, Verratti suspended), Galtier was slow to make his changes. His bench was populated by two goalies and five players 20 or younger. Three days after his first pro goal, Warren Zaire-Emery benefited from a good quarter of an hour to panic the right side. Ismaël Gharbi also played a few minutes and participated in the 17th success in 22 days for PSG, which temporarily takes eight steps ahead of the Marseillais.