Lionel Messi scored a dazzling 95th-minute free kick Saturday to clinch Paris Saint-Germain’s 4-3 victory over sixth-place LOSC Lille.
The Ligue 1 win comes at a crucial time for the Paris club, which entered Saturday’s match on a three-game losing streak.
“In these tough times, we’ve got to entrench ourselves even further in our work,” head coach Christophe Galtier told the media before the game.
Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a beautifully worked solo goal, and Neymar Jr. doubled their lead shortly thereafter with an assist from Portuguese midfielder Vitinha.
But 2021 champions Lille fought back, taking advantage of Presnel Kimpembe’s below-average defending to secure a 3-2 lead in the second half. Mbappé leveled the game once more in the 87th minute, and as the clock ticked into injury time, a draw looked all but certain.
Messi had other plans. With mere seconds left, he smashed a free kick off the right post and into Lille’s net. PSG’s management staff sprinted down the sidelines in delight as Mbappé lifted a grinning Messi aloft, all tension between the World Cup finalists left firmly in the past.
