Welcome to Sportstar’s highlights of the Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Angers, being played at the Parc des Princes in Paris, France.
MATCH REPORT: Messi scores after returning from FIFA World Cup as PSG beats Angers 2-0 in Ligue 1
Full Time! PSG 2-0 Angers
Save! Neymar takes the corner kick, which is headed on target by Mukiele, but Bernardoni denies another goal with a great save. Ramos, Messi and now Mukiele - the Angers keeper has denied three clear goals tonight.
Offside! Messi’s through ball is buried into the net by Neymar in what looked like PSG’s third goal. But the liensman has his flag raised and even after a VAR check, the goal is ruled out.
72’ PSG 2-0; Messi scores for Paris Saint-Germain
Melali makes a darting run into the box, beats his marker and tries to thread a through cross to Boufal, but OSG intercepts and clears the danger.
Angers gets a corner after Boufal’s shot is deflected out by Mukiele. The corner kick, after the ball reaches Melali, is shot into the box, which is stopped and then cleared by Ramos.
Boufal, who had an historic campaign with Morocco in the World Cup last year, has instant impact, with the winger taking the balll into the box and crossing to Sima. But the cross in intercepted and cleared by PSG.
62’ Triple substitution for Angers!
Miss! Abdelli starts an attack on the counter with a run from his own half. He marches up the pitch and then delivers a curling cross for Sima as PSG players fall short in tracking back but the Angers striker shoots the ball miles over the net.
Save! Messi delivers a great long ball from the midfield for Neymar, who crosses for Ekitike. The youngster’s delays his shot, turns and then shoots. Bernardoni makes another good save. Barring the goal early on, he has been very good so far.
Doumbia makes a great run along the left flank, beats his marker and manages to deliver a timely cross in the centre. Donnarumma is there to catch it and end that attack as he throws the ball back at PSG players.
Messi and Neymar whisper to each with the former chipping the ball to Danilo. But Angers eventually contains the attack, tracking back on time.
Chance! Abdelli asks questions to the PSG defence, runs into the box and tries a shot, only to be stopped by Marquinhos. At the other end, Mendy fouls Ekitike for a PSG free-kick.
Angers gets the ball in the PSG half in style with some perfectly crafted combination passes and Capelle and Bamba pair up in front of the PSG box. However, a foul by Angers gifts the ball back to PSG and the Angers boss looks furious.
Neymar gets the ball along the left flank in the PSG half and tries a long ball for Messi, but Bernardoni comes out to intercept and contain the attack. He has been a consistent impediment for Messi tonight.
Shot! Sima gets the ball again at the edge of box and shoots the ball wide. The player, however, was ruled marginally offside and Angers continues its pursuit for the equaliser and maybe its hopes to stay in French top-flight.
Sima makes a good run along the right flank, beats his marker and crosses in the centre. No Angers players are there to receive it as Ramos clears it away.
Ekitike gets the ball rolling wile Angers looks to press early in the PSG half and can suffice with a throw-in now. Eventually, Bamba is ruled offside and PSG gets the ball back.
Second half begins!
Half-Time! PSG 1-0 Angers
Abdelli carries the ball close to the PSG final third, passes to Doumbia as Angers looks to find a reply to PSG’s goal in the first half. Doumbia whips in a cross which is caught by Donnarumma.
Doumbia and Bentaleb pair up for a shot at attack, but Mukiele tracks back on time and makes sure Doumbia plays the ball out for a goal kick and that Angers attempts to score from that development are curbed.
The Angers forwards pair up for an attack. Sima gets the ball into the PSG half, passes to Hunou, who crosses to his left for Abdelli, but the header flies over the net.
What a run from Ekitike! Ekitike makes a brilliant run into the box from the right. Surrounded by three red shirts, he manages to almost stick the ball to his feet, tosses it with his ankle and continues the run, but is thwarted in the box as Angers looks desperately stop any more scoring chances.
Messi tries another forward run towards the penalty box and is brought down by Mendy to gift PSG another free-kick. This is a Messi-area. The Argentine has scored from here before.
Neymar and Messi step up for it. The former runs past it and Messi shoots at the wall.
Save! Bentaleb loses the ball close to his penalty box and Messi eventually takes control of it. He barges into the box and tries a right-footed curler, which is saved by Bernardoni to deny Messi a brilliant goal on his return from the World Cup.
Angers looks to press high up the pitch, but PSG has remained clearly the dominant side. It absorbs the pressure with a back pass to Donnarumma, who gets the ball back in play soon. Messi gets the ball eventually and turns, running to his right and tries a through ball for Ekitike.
The visitors intercept and clear the ball away.
Paris St Germain’s Lionel Messi and Neymar prepare to take a free kick against Angers in the Ligue 1 match. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
A foul by Angers in the midfield gives PSG a free-kick. Neymar takes it this time after Messi runs past the ball in a routine similar to Netherlands’ second goal against Messi’s Argentina in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinal. But Angers intercepts the ball this time to stop further damage.
Another free-kick opportunity for PSG! This time on the right. Messi takes this as well and Bernadoni comes out to punch the ball out of danger this time.
Save! Messi takes the free-kick, which is headed on target by Ramos, but it is saved by a brilliant reflex save from Bernadoni. That header had no right to stay out!
Messi gets the ball, jogs to his left and then twists and turns and tries a one-two with Neymar, who is fouled by Bentaleb and PSG gets a free-kick from a scoring position.
Five blue shirts tightly mark the Angers defence as the visitors are sequestered in their own half. PSG eventually takes control of the ball and begins an attack, with small passes from its half.
Neymar looks to have caught the foot of Capelle and though the referee rules play-on, Ramos plays the ball out. Eventually the Brazilian is back on his feet and match resumes.
Chance! Bentaleb gets a long ball into the PSG final third for Hunou, but Donnarumma comes forward, misses it. However, Bernat comes to PSG’s rescue, clearing the ball just in time.
Angers tries to attack on the counter, with Sima getting the ball just outside the box. He is marked by Marquinhos who makes sure the forward plays the ball out for a goal kick.
Fabian Ruiz tries to switch the play with a clinical long ball from the left to his right and Mukiele receives it. He tries to thread a pass to Ekitike, but the Angers defence blocks the attempt.
Messi tries a through ball for Neymar from the edge of the final third, but the Angers goalie, Bernardoni, intercepts on time to deny any chance for Christophe Galtier’s side to score a second so soon.
5’ Goal! Ektitke scores for PSG, PSG 1-0 Angers
Marquinhos gets the ball up the pitch, passes to Mukiele who finds Messi, and then the ball moves off to Bernat and then Danilo. Messi, finally gets the ball back, tries to make a run, but is surrounded by red shirts to limit his early attacking move.
Angers loses the ball early on as PSG presses and the French champion keeps the ball in control, with the defenders toying with the boys in red.
Kick Off!
1:25 AM: Minutes to kick-off!
1:05 am: PSG players pay tribute to Pele!
All the Paris Saint-Germain players warm-up in a shirt with Pele’s face on it, giving a tribute to the Brazil legend who passed away last year.
12:30 am - Starting lineups:
MATCH PREVIEW
Paris Saint-Germain will face Angers in the Round 18 of Ligue 1 as it looks to build on its four-point lead in the league at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday.
Christoph Galtier’s side has made a comeback after a sudden stumble, when it lost to Lens, winning the next game with a two-goal margin in the previous match.
The match is expected to see Lionel Messi return to the pitch after winning the FIFA World Cup 2022 for the first time. The Argentine has taken a small break after victory at Qatar 2022 and has been training for a week now and the head coach expressed hopes the forward will be ready for the upcoming league match.
PSG on Wednesday released the 20-man squad that will face Angers. Messi was named alongside the likes of Neymar and Sergio Ramos while Kylian Mbappe will be missing as he went on holiday.
Angers, on the other hand, sits on the opposite end of the Ligue 1 table, with just two wins in 17 games, with both coming in September last year.
Predicted lineup:
Form Guide:
PSG has lost just once in 17 games this season, while Angers has just two wins in the French League. Angers comes into the match following a 0-0 draw against Strasbourg. Paris Saint-Germain, on the other hand, will look for a second win in a row after a 3-1 victory against Chateauroux.
PSG last live games:
- Chateauroux 1-3 PSG
- Lens 3-1 PSG
- PSG 2-1 Strasbourg
- PSG 3-1 Quevilly
- PSG 2-1 Paris FC
Angers last five games:
- Strasbourg 0-0 Angers
- Angers 1-2 Lorient
- AC Ajaccio 1-0 Angers
- Angers 2-2 Auxerre
- Angers 0-1 Niort
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