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Lionel Messi scored his first Ligue 1 goal for Paris Saint-Germain as the league leaders defeated visiting Nantes 3-1. Messi and company, on the other hand, accomplished it the hard way.
Messi’s deflected shot and late curling strike gave 10-man PSG the lead after Nantes equalized in the second half following the red card of PSG’s primary goalkeeper.
PSG eased its foot off the gas in the second half after cruising into halftime with a 1-0 advantage thanks to a second-minute Kylian Mbappe goal. PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas was sent off his line and brought out a player for denying an apparent goal-scoring opportunity. As a result, Nantes altered formation and brought in attacking reinforcements.
Nantes would equalize on a spectacular backheel by Kolo Muani, and it appeared as though PSG would be on the back foot for the rest of the game. Messi and Mbappe, on the other hand, collaborated to wreak havoc on the Nante’s defense. PSG took the lead after a Messi shot was deflected for an own goal, and Messi added the frosting on the cake with three minutes remaining.
PSG vs. Nantes final score
1H
2H
Final
Goals:
PSG — Kylian Mbappe (Leandro Paredes) — 2nd min.
NAN — Kolo Muani — 76th min.
PSG — Dennis Appiah (own plan) — 81st min.
PSG — Lionel Messi — 87th min.
Final: PSG 3, Nantes 1
Messi scores in the 87th minute! He scores his first goal for PSG. Messi runs right at the defense and flicks the ball past Lafont after Mbappe feeds him wide right. Spectacular conclusion.
PSG scores in the 81st minute! It’s an own goal from a Messi shot that Dennis Appiah deflected beyond his goalie.
Nantes scores in the 76th minute! Kolo Muani shots on goal, and PSG goalie Rico makes the first stop. Many then follow up with a backheel that crosses the line, and Rico cannot keep it out. We’re about to go to the finish line.
74th minute: SUB – Gini Wijnaldum replaces Marco Verratti, who is on a yellow card. A ten-man PSG team requires someone who can cover the ground.
Sergio Rico’s reflex stops in the 70th minute! The ball deflects off PSG defender Diallo, and Rico must stop it from going in. So what was once a routine encounter for PSG will now be a fight for the final 20 minutes.
SUB – PSG backup goalkeeper Sergio Rico comes in in the 68th minute, and Neymar is sacrificed.
Halftime: PSG 1, Nantes 0
Halftime: Nantes goalkeeper Alban Lafont, 22, is the only reason the visitors are still in this game. The offensive trio of Neymar, Mbappe, and Messi is moving and combining wonderfully, and Nantes cannot keep up. On the other hand, PSG has comfortably handled everything Nantes has thrown at it, and the Canaries have only two attempts on goal the entire game. It appears to be the optimum scenario for Messi to score his first goal in Ligue 1 in the second half. However, with a Champions League fixture in midweek, manager Mauricio Pochettino may choose to rest his players if they can put the game out of reach.
