Argentine superstar scores brace to rescue PSG after French forward puts on an inspiring show as Paris club rally to beat Leipzig 3-2; coach Pochettino hails duo for showing quality in victory
PSG’s Lionel Messi celebrates his goal against Leipzig with teammate Kylian Mbappe on Tuesday. pic/Getty Images
PSG were rescued by their superstar attack as Lionel Messi scored twice and Kylian Mbappe played a starring role for the French side, who came from behind to beat RB Leipzig 3-2 in the Champions League on Tuesday.
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Mbappe had given PSG the lead at the Parc des Princes but a Leipzig side beaten 6-3 at Manchester City earlier in the competition did not crumble in the French capital. Goals from Andre Silva and Nordi Mukiele had them in front, and at that point PSG looked as if they might pay the price for another occasionally disjointed display.
Pochettino
Room for improvement
But then Mbappe set up Messi for the equaliser before the Argentine coolly chipped in a 74th-minute penalty awarded for a foul on the France forward. “It is true that we must do better. For the moment we are not playing well but we are winning,” said Mbappe, who missed a penalty in injury time. “We don’t need to say anything more about the quality of Kylian and Leo,” insisted PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino, whose team are now top of Group A at the halfway stage, a point above City.
Pure class
“In games when you are struggling to find solutions as a team, that is why you need players of their class.” PSG’s win was achieved without Neymar, sidelined by an adductor muscle injury. In any case, the world’s most expensive player has not really been himself this season, his one goal so far coming from the penalty spot. While Messi has been settling in to his new surroundings, Mbappe has been the main man in Paris.
In contrast Leipzig, beaten by PSG in the semi-finals in 2020, are bottom without a point. “We played very well, but once we got in front we made too many basic mistakes and in the end maybe we deserved our defeat,” said Leipzig’s American coach, Jesse Marsch.
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