Jean-François Pérès with AFP
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06:34, October 02, 2022
Paris Saint-Germain beat Nice (2-1) on Saturday evening to regain the lead in Ligue 1 ahead of Marseille, a fortnight before the Clasico. A goal from Lionel Messi from a direct free kick (29th), his first with PSG, and a second from Kylian Mbappé (83rd), against a goal from Gaëtan Laborde (47th), allowed the Parisian club to sign an eighth victory in nine days.
Paris Saint-Germain retains its place at the top of Ligue 1 ahead of Marseille. The Parisians overcame a tough Nice team, 2 goals to 1 on Saturday evening at the Parc des Princes, thanks in particular to a Lionel Messi transformed since the start of the season.
It’s a pleasure that we had forgotten a little bit last season and, to be honest, that we were afraid to put away in the memory cabinet over time. In the 28th minute of this PSG-Nice, a free kick from 20 meters. Messi starts… And the magic happens again. The ball rises above the wall, suspends its flight then suddenly descends into the Nice goal, as if remotely controlled. Schmeichel, the Riviera goalkeeper is dumbfounded. The Park is jubilant.
A sparkling Messi
Brilliant scorer therefore, but also author of fantastic rides as in his great Barcelona era. The 35-year-old Argentinian is back to a sparkling level of form that makes his trainer Christophe Galtier happy: “I have an incredible pleasure to see him every morning in training and a real pleasure to work with him. that he can become the best player in the world again? Yes.”
Man of the evening, Messi scored the 60th direct free kick of his career and the first in Paris. If we add the permanent activity of Neymar and the winning entry of Mbappé at the end of the match, PSG can calmly approach the next deadlines such as the 3rd day of the Champions League in Lisbon from Wednesday and a boiling classic face at Olympique de Marseille in two weeks at the Parc des Princes.