Lille OSC found itself down 2-0 but responded with three unanswered goals to put Paris Saint-Germain in a state of anxiety. However, football can be a cruel sport, as the capital club’s star players snatched a victory away from Lille.
Kylian Mbappe scored the game-tying goal on a beautiful connection with Juan Bernat. Then, in stoppage time, Lionel Messi put the dagger into Lille as the 35-year-old recorded the eventual game-winning goal on a free kick strike.
After the loss, Lille manager Paulo Fonseca spoke with the media, where he was asked what went wrong for his team, and his response was simple, PSG’s star players showed up.
“It’s very easy to explain (the defeat in the last minutes): the difference is Messi and Mbappé,” Fonseca told reporters (h/t Le Figaro). “I think we dominated the whole game, we created more chances, we played our game, I think we deserved another result, but that’s football.
“Scoring three goals here is not easy, we did everything to win the match. Honestly, I’m sorry, but I’m also very happy with my players and my team. Fonte has a gash in his knee, he was given seven stitches.”
🏆 #PSGLOSC
🎙 Fonseca : "La différence sur ce match ? C'est très facile : Messi et Mbappé" pic.twitter.com/vvgK646oK1— beIN SPORTS (@beinsports_FR) February 19, 2023
The French giants will need Mbappe and Messi to step up as Neymar Jr. suffered an ankle injury during the contest. There’s no timetable yet for how long the 31-year-old will be out, but there’s no doubt the two players will have increased responsibility.
