France’s soccer champions Paris St. Germain can breathe a sigh of relief for the time being. On Sunday, the club from the capital celebrated a spectacular, but by no means confident, 4:3 (2:1) win against OSC Lille. Superstars Kylian Mbappe and LioneL Messi saved PSG from another setback. World Cup top scorer Mbappe (87th) and world champion Messi, who converted a free kick (95th), were able to lead Paris St. Germain to victory. This secured Paris the lead in the table.
The Parisians’ first competitive win after three previous defeats was only of limited use as a mood lifter. Not only the sometimes blatant defensive problems, but also an injury to Neymar caused concern. The Brazilian (31), who had made it 2-0 (17′), twisted his right foot after a challenge at the start of the second half. He had to be taken off the pitch on a stretcher and replaced.
Unlike the 1-0 home defeat on Tuesday in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Bayern Munich, Mbappe, who had previously injured his thigh, was able to storm alongside Neymar and Messi from the start. With the 1-0 lead (11th), the Frenchman immediately showed why he is PSG’s great hope. After Neymar’s 2-0 lead, PSG shifted gears and were punished by conceding three goals in a row.
