MANILA – Lionel Messi made his first Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) appearance on Sunday (Monday in the Philippines) after coming off the bench midway through the second half in a 2-0 win over Stade de Reims in French Ligue 1 tournament at the Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims, France.
However, Kylian Mbappé stole the spotlight from the debuting Messi, scoring a goal each in the first and second halves in what could be his final game with PSG before his reported transfer to Real Madrid prior to the closing of the transfer deadline this week.
The 22-year-old booter immediately put the PSG ahead, 1-0, after 15 minutes when he head home a cross from Angel Di Maria. Moreto Cassama made three goal attempts for Reims, but all of them were unsuccessful.
Marshall Munetsi of Reims then hit the target with a game-tying goal attempt five minutes into the second half but was ruled out for offside. Mbappé then sealed PSG’s victory in the 63rd minute with a goal from Achraf Hakimi’s cross.
“Kylian is our player, and you know that in football and business, there is always gossip and rumors,” PSG head coach Mauricio Pochettino said in a post-match interview with Amazon. “He is one of the best, one of the most important players in the world today, and for him to be with us is a gift,” he added.
Amid Mbappé’s exploits, Messi was the talk of the town as he made his long-awaited debut after years of playing for the FC Barcelona. He received a standing ovation when he came on in place of his former Barcelona teammate Neymar in the 66th minute.
The 34-year-old Messi, however, is clearly out of shape, having not played a competitive football match since winning the Copa America with Argentina on July 10.
“(Messi) is still far away from his best form, but he has been training well, and he will be fit in the next two weeks,” Pochettino said. “We are waiting for the best from him.”
“He brings serenity to the team. His energy and his optimism trickle down on the rest of the team. He was good from the first touches; he gave the team peace of mind. It’s good for him to start with a win,” he added.
With the victory, the PSG is currently top the table with a maximum of 12 points after four games./PN
