Saturday, October 30, 2021 at 06:58• Yanick Vos • Last update: 07:01

Lionel Messi was substituted after 45 minutes in the game against Lille OSC on Friday evening as a precaution, Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino told the media present after the 2-1 victory. The Argentinian attacker was replaced by Mauro Icardi at halftime, trailing 0-1. Without Messi inside the lines, PSG managed to clear the deficit and keep the three points at home.

Messi was the notable absentee when the players returned to the field after the break. Lille then led 0-1 thanks to a goal from Ligue 1 top scorer Jonathan David (eight goals). Fifteen minutes before the end, Marquinhos scored the equalizer, after which Ángel Di María worked the 2-1 against the ropes just before the end of the match. Afterwards, Pochettino explained why he replaced Messi. “I spoke to the doctor. We have this as a precaution. He couldn’t go any further, but it’s not a big problem. He will be available for the next match,” Pochettino was quoted as saying by Amazon Prime.

In the absence of the injured Kylian Mbappe, Messi started the attack off with Neymar and Di María on the flanks. With Icardi as a deep striker, it turned out better at PSG after the break, which then scored twice. “But I don’t think that was the problem in the first half. It’s because Lille just knows us well. We weren’t good enough to feed our attackers and we couldn’t control the game. But I don’t think a single player or a different position changes everything,” said the Argentine coach, who spoke of a “deserved victory”.

Expectations were sky high when Messi made the move from Barcelona to PSG last summer. However, the 34-year-old attacker is still waiting for his first goal in Ligue 1 after five league games. So far, Messi has scored twice in the 3-2 Champions League win against RB Leipzig and once in the same tournament against Manchester City ( 2-0). Although the victory over Lille was difficult, PSG leads the league after twelve games with a ten-point lead over number two RC Lens, which still has one game to go. PSG will play again on Wednesday against RB Leipzig in the billion-dollar ball. Messi is expected to be back in the game.