Lionel Messi scored his first goal in Ligue 1 since November as Paris Saint-Germain defeated Lille 5-1 at Stade Pierre Mauroy.
Messi’s deft finish ended PSG’s six-game drought in the competition, with Danilo Pereira scoring twice and Presnel Kimpembe also on target before Kylian Mbappe’s sumptuous 20-yard strike rounded out the scoring.
The Parisians’ 1-0 defeat to Lille in April of last season was a pivotal result in the title race, with Lille finishing a point ahead of Mauricio Pochettino’s team to win the title.
The result on Sunday nite keeps Lille in mid-table this season, while PSG leads second-placed Marseille by 13 points.
Goalkeeper Ivo Grbic fumbled a cross from the left whipped in by Nuno Mendes, spilling the ball and allowing Pereira to poke home in the 10th minute.
PSG’s Messi curled wide from 20 yards, but Lille’s Sven Botman beat Gianluigi Donnarumma with a bouncing shot from 10 yards after Hatem Ben Arfa made a nuisance of himself by wriggling into the box from the left flank.
PSG took the lead again in the 32nd minute when Kimpembe prodded in Messi’s right-wing corner at the far post for the defender’s first league goal of the season.
Messi had his goal six minutes later when he collected the leftovers from an Mbappe charge, spotting a gap between Lille defenders and darting through before cheekily chipping Grbic.
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PSG’s fourth after 51 minutes saw Pereira’s 25-yard strike deflect off Amadou Onana and deceive Grbic.Â
There was then little the goalkeeper could do about Mbappe’s classy finish, as the France star, stepping in from the left, curled the ball into the far-right corner for the visitors’ crowning glory.
What does it mean? Statement of intent
After losing on penalties to Nice in the Coupe de France on Monday, it was important that PSG got back into their stride. This will not exorcise the ghosts of last season, but it points to the gulf that now exists between Pochettino’s men and Lille.
PSG have now avoided defeat in their last 19 matches when scoring the opening goal in Ligue 1, dating back to March 21 last year. They have won all 12 league games this season when they have struck first. They might need to sharpen up their spot-kicks, in case they become a factor in the Champions League, but this was largely impressive from the capital giants.
Game to forget for Grbic
Lille had not lost any of their nine most recent Ligue 1 home games (W5 D4), but they got off to a woeful start here when Grbic blundered. The goalkeeper was also partly to blame for PSG’s second too, failing to gather the corner from Messi that found Kimpembe.
There was a touch of class about the goals from Messi and Mbappe, while Pereira’s second owed a lot to good fortune, but to face only seven shots on target and concede five times is not a great ratio for any goalkeeper. At the other end, Donnarumma made four saves, and might think he should have done better with the goal from Botman.
Messi moving through the gears
Messi attempted a game-high five shots, three of which hit the target, and although there is more to come from him, this was a game where he looked in control and able to dictate. Ahead of the Champions League tussle with Real Madrid, this was exactly what PSG wanted to see from the former Barcelona captain. After Messi’s recent COVID-19 lay-off, Pochettino can only have been encouraged by his fellow Argentinian.
Key Opta Facts:
– Lille have conceded five goals in a single home Ligue 1 game for the first time since February 2012 against Bordeaux (4-5).
– Botman has scored two goals in his last four Ligue 1 games, already more than in his first 49 in the top flight (1).
– Pereira has scored in back-to-back games for the first time in Ligue 1. He has scored three goals in his last two Ligue 1 games, as many as in his first 36 in the top flight. It is also his first brace in a professional league game.
– Kimpembe has scored his first goal in Ligue 1 in his 140th game from his 35th shot attempted.
What’s next?
PSG tackle Rennes in Ligue 1 on Friday, before they host Madrid in the first leg of that big European tie the following Tuesday. Lille are also alive in the Champions League, and they too have a Friday Ligue 1 assignment next when they host Metz, before travelling to Chelsea.
