Lionel Messi on Tuesday scored his maiden goal for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in their 2-0 UEFA Champions League victory against Manchester City — and there was a sense of relief at the Ligue 1 club after the Argentine’s stuttering start to the season.
Messi had been unconvincing in his first three appearances since joining on a two-year contract after leaving Barcelona, but he reminded everyone of his talent on Tuesday.
After a quiet first half, the diminutive forward linked up with Kylian Mbappe and found the top corner to effectively wrap up the win in the 74th minute.
Photo: AP
His goal sent the Parc des Princes crowd into raptures and prompted a rare celebration from coach Mauricio Pochettino.
“I’ve spent 20 years watching him score goals from the other side of the opposite pavement — and it’s the first time he scores for a team I manage, so I had to celebrate,” Pochettino said, smiling. “You need this type of performance and players like him need to feel the back of the net. He needs to create links within the team after 20 years in Barcelona.”
Expectations have been high for PSG’s Messi, Mbappe and Neymar. Last weekend, Pochettino had to play down talk of a fallout between the Frenchman and the Brazilian.
While they have yet to gel, Tuesday’s game showed promise.
“I am very happy to have scored,” said Messi, back on the pitch after sitting out two games with a bruised knee. “I haven’t played much recently. Only one game [at the Parc des Princes] — this is the second one here. I am gradually adapting to my new team, to my teammates.”
City manager Pep Guardiola, who coached Messi at Barcelona from 2008 to 2012, said his team played well, but it was impossible to stop Mbappe, Messi and Neymar.
“I wish [Messi] the best. I hope that he’s happy and enjoying it here. He made me so happy when we were together,” Guardiola added.
BOUNCE BACK: Curry scored 46 points in the Warriors’ victory over the Spurs, after ‘everybody stepped up’ following Tuesday’s blowout loss to Oklahoma City Nikola Jokic scoring 50 or more points had never been enough for the Denver Nuggets to win — until now. Jokic on Wednesday night tied the highest-scoring performance in the NBA this season with 55 points, as the Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Clippers 130-116 for their sixth straight victory. The Nuggets were 0-4 in his previous 50-point outbursts. “It’s a good feeling,” the three-time NBA Most Valuable Player said. He equaled Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 55 in a double-overtime game at the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 23. Jokic has been on a roll during Denver’s winning streak. He is the
The tri-nation Twenty20 international series featuring hosts Pakistan, as well as Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, is to be played entirely in Rawalpindi from Tuesday next week, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said yesterday, after this week’s suicide bombing in the capital, Islamabad. The change came after at least eight Sri Lankan players asked to leave over security fears following Tuesday’s bombing that killed 12 people and wounded 27. Their country’s cricket board issued a stern directive to the team to stay put or face consequences. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said the decision to stay was taken after “close consultations” with hosts Pakistan who
France’s Kevin Aymoz snatched the men’s title at Skate America on Saturday, winning his first grand prix title with a battling free skate, while short program leader Kazuki Tomono faltered. It was an emotional triumph for Aymoz, who made his grand prix level debut in 2017, with seven prior podium finishes, but no gold. He had struggled with a painful foot injury since a disappointing 10th-place finish at Skate Canada last month. “It was so difficult,” the 28-year-old said. “After Skate Canada I wanted to give up so much and today I’m here and it’s so beautiful to be with my friends competing
Australian restaurant chain Grill’d has made a cheeky apology for putting a “curse” on Oscar Piastri’s Formula One title hopes with their offer of a free burger for every time the McLaren driver gets on the podium. The Melbourne native has not finished in the top three since the promotion relaunched five races ago, losing the championship lead to teammate Lando Norris and now 24 points behind. Online conspiracy theorists have been quick to put two and two together. The chain’s Piastri 81 Burger debuted ahead of the Australian Grand Prix in March, with his endorsement, and was relaunched in September after he
RSS