In his first game following the World Cup, Lionel Messi assisted Paris Saint-Germain in defeating Angers 2-0 to return to winning ways in Ligue 1.
Hugo Ekitike gave PSG the lead after just five minutes at Parc des Princes, continuing the 20-year-recent old's form in front of goal. With just under 20 minutes remaining, Messi sealed the victory with a characteristically elegant finish, giving the defending champions a six-point lead at the top of the league.
For the visit of bottom-of-the-table Angers, Christophe Galtier was permitted to call up Messi and Neymar after they were defeated 3-1 in their previous league match by title contenders Lens.
Because they were both rumored to be leaving in the January transfer window, star players Azzedine Ounahi and Sofiane Boufal were left out of Abdel Bouhazama's starting lineup, however the latter came off the bench for the final 30 minutes.
Ekitike scored his third goal in as many games for PSG after a minute of silence was observed in honor of the late Pele. Nordi Mukiele's low cross from the right was swept past Angers goalkeeper Paul Bernardoni.
Sergio Ramos' goal from a Messi free-kick could have made it 2-0 midway through the first half, but Bernardoni saved the Spaniard's header and then denied Messi with a left-handed stop shortly after the half-hour mark.
Abdallah Dipo Sima should have done better when in plenty of space on the right of the hosts' penalty area on the hour, but he blazed his shot over the bar. Angers started the second half well as PSG struggled to end the game.
After running onto a Mukiele pass and rolling the ball into the bottom left corner of the net in the 72nd minute, Messi had to wait anxiously to see if he had extended the lead. Eventually, a VAR review overturned the initial decision of offside, much to the Argentine's delight and PSG's relief.
GALTIER'S MEN CONTINUE TO LEAD DESPITE A LACKLUSTER PERFORMANCE.
Even though it was a straightforward victory, the Parisians' attacking play seemed curiously tentative. Up until Messi's excellent finish, Neymar was unable to score, and it appeared that Ekitike would be the only forward line player to contribute to the victory.
Angers only faced nine shots against a side that had scored 48 goals in 18 league games, but having dropped nine straight Ligue 1 games coming into this one.
EKITIKE IS ONCE MORE FAST TO RESPOND.
Ekitike once again did his job as he added to his three goals in his previous three outings, but he will undoubtedly no longer be on the team when Kylian Mbappe returns.
Notably, all three have occurred in the first 13 minutes of games, indicating that he appears to be focused from the start.
NEYMAR IS ONLY A FOOTNOTE.
Neymar played in his first league game after being dismissed against Strasbourg, but in reality, he may as well have stayed in the stands.
The Brazilian managed just one shot in the game, with an expected goals rate of just 0.04, and lost possession 21 times more than any other player.
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