Messi gave PSG the victory in the last play. Photo: Getty.
When the noose was around Christophe Galtier’s neck and a strong storm was brewing at Paris Saint-Germain, between Kylian Mbappé, creator of a work of art, and Lionel Messi, with a free kick in the 94th minute, defeated 4- 3 to Lille and saved their coach’s skin, who lived in the abyss for a good part of the second act.
The Parque de los Príncipes experienced a day worthy of study. He went from utter disappointment to the most extravagant revelry with the figure of his sports advisor, Luis Campos, as the main protagonist.
With everything lost, down 2-3 on the scoreboard after Jonathan Bamba’s goal in the 69th minute, Campos went down from the box to the stands to gesticulate with disdain and bad taste against his team. Engaged in various spats with some players in the past two weeks, he seemed to be rubbing his hands at a more than likely dismissal of Galtier.
KNOW MORE: Neymar leaves the match against Lille with a right ankle injury
However, from shouting and unedifying gestures he went to ecstasy with Messi’s goal, who turned the tables on a free-kick to end a three-game losing streak for his team.
“Messi”:
Because he scored a great goal for PSG’s victory. pic.twitter.com/qoOAXHUMiJ
— Why is it a trend? (@tendenciaporque) February 19, 2023
Campos, like a bar fan, jumped onto the pitch in the final stages of the clash and even allowed himself the luxury of giving orders.
I’m sure the PSG adviser expected a forceful reaction from his team, involved in a dangerous dynamic and surrounded by controversy. The last one was carried out this week by Neymar, who after losing in the first leg of the round of 16 against Bayern (0-1), went to play poker and eat hamburgers.
Earlier, after losing to Monaco 3-1, a fight broke out with crossfire between Campos and some footballers, whose performance did not change when they demanded to hit the table.
Besides, Neymar ended up injured and the worst image of Messi appeared, that although he saved the Parisian team, until the goal that ended the crisis he wandered the lawn of the Parc des Princes like an absolutely listless player. Only Mbappé was able to arrest a day in which Olympique Marseille will finish at least five points behind the leaderr.
Then Mbappé appeared to paralyze time in the Parque de los Príncipes. His play, executed in just a few seconds, was worth an entry. He entered from the left flank, heading into the box with Tiago Djalo and Bafode Diakite in front as serious and impenetrable opposition. He got rid of both with a monumental tunnel over the first, resisted the crashes of the two and with an unstoppable right hand he beat Lucas Chevalier.
Mbappé back after injury and doing what he does best ✨
That cheeky nutmeg ?? pic.twitter.com/UQZ7pAI8A0
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 19, 2023
His goal not only opened the scoring. He also reassured an insecure team for a few moments that he played with fire and that just three minutes later he scored the second through Neymar. The Brazilian closed with pleasure a collective move that Messi and Vitinha finished basting together and that disguised the controversy of poker and the hamburger.
With that goal, PSG promised them very happy. Lille seemed finished, with the memory of the 1-7 of the first leg and everything seemed to indicate that it was going to collapse like a house of cards. However, he took control of the game and scares returned to Donnarumma’s goal. First, with a header from Jonathan David that saved the Italian goalkeeper. And, second, with the success of Diakite, who signed a disturbing 2-1 for the Parisian team facing the second act.
Paris Saint-Germain, disoriented, took another upset with Jonathan David’s penalty goal, the Canadian striker’s fifteenth number this season, and which preceded Bamba’s bombing that caused the final anger of Luis Campos. So, Near the end, Mbappé appeared first and then Messi, to close the victory with a free kick that gave Galtier oxygen when Zinedine Zidane was already warming up on the wing.
