PSG wins crazy topper; Messi does not shake hands with Pochettino after substitution

Sunday, September 19, 2021 at 10:45 PM• Mart van Mourik • Last update: 22:52

Paris Saint-Germain secured three points in extremis on Sunday evening. For a long time it looked as if the top match against Olympique Lyon would end in a 1-1 draw, but in the 93rd minute Mauro Icardi broke the spell on a pass from Kylian Mbappé: 2-1. Lionel Messi made his debut in Ligue 1 but was sidelined early in favor of Achraf Hakimi, much to the disappointment of the Argentine himself. With eighteen points from six league matches, PSG is sovereign in the lead in France, while the team of trainer Peter Bosz occupies ninth position.

After Messi made his basic debut on behalf of PSG in the Champions League last weekend, the Argentinian also got the chance to show himself from the kick-off for the first time in the French competition. Pochettino opted for a vanguard with no fewer than four attackers: Messi played in the number ten position; Ángel Di María, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar were the front three names. Georginio Wijnaldum had to start from the bench, as the midfield block was formed by Ander Herrera and Idrissa Gueye.

The first chance of the match was scored by Karl Toko Ekambi, who fired on the enemy goal in the third minute but ran into goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Then it was the Parisians’ turn. This time goalkeeper Anthony Lopes had to come into action after Di María tried to outsmart him in the short corner. The teams put on an entertaining duel and the necessary danger was created on both sides. The greatest danger of the first half came from Messi’s foot.

After half an hour of play, it was Lopes who first prevented a hit. Neymar had a nice chop on Messi, who tried to score with a placed shot into the far corner but saw the closing post save in a catlike way. Five minutes later, the number 10 of PSG again came close to the opening goal; this time, however, it was the crossbar that got in the way of a goal. In the end, the ban was broken by Lyon eight minutes after the break.

It was Ekambi who had a custom pass to Lucas Paqueta, who passed Donnarumma in the short corner with one foot movement: 0-1. PSG put things in order in the 65th minute. Referee Clément Turpin made the questionable decision to award Neymar a penalty after a minor foul by Malo Gusto. The Brazilian himself went behind the ball and sent Lopes into the wrong corner: 1-1. Ten minutes later, Messi was taken off, and without shaking hands with coach Mauricio Pochettino, the attacker headed for the bench.

The game seemed to be heading for a draw, but in the 93rd minute Icardi came with the redemption. The striker who came in for Di María got all the space from the defenders of Lyon and headed diagonally on a pass from Mbappé: 2-1.