WATCH: Lionel Messi's two assists for Kylian Mbappe in PSG's 3-1 win over Saint-Etienne
Lionel Messi provided two assists to his attacking partner Kylian Mbappe during Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)'s 3-1 win against Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1 on Saturday. The 34-year-old forward has been the creative force for Mauricio Pochettino's side over the last few weeks.
Saint-Etienne took a shock lead through Denis Bouanga in the 16th minute before the Messi-Mbappe show unfolded. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner found his strike partner with a brilliant through ball that beat three Saint-Etienne defenders.
The Frenchman's shot beat Paul Bernardoni at the near post as PSG restored parity just before the interval.
The video for the assist can be seen below:
The second assist from Messi, though, was even better. He received the ball near the edge of the box from Mbappe. The Argentine captain then dribbled past four Saint-Etienne defenders before providing an inch-perfect ball for the Frenchman to score.
It's worth mentioning that the second goal was Mbappe's 156th for the Parisians, which put him level with Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The video for the same can be viewed below:
Mbappe then turned provider for PSG's third. The 23-year-old floated in a cross from the outside of his right foot for Danilo Pereira for the Parisians' third of the night.
The win was key for Mauricio Pochettino's side, who came off a shock 3-1 defeat against Nantes. As things stand, PSG have amassed 62 points from 26 games. They are atop the Ligue 1 standings, a whopping 15 points clear of second-placed Olympique Marseille.
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe have been key for PSG this season
The partnership between Messi and Mbappe has been immense for PSG. According to Transfermarkt, the duo has contributed 31 goals and 28 assists between them across competitions this season.
Mbappe is currently the club's leading goalscorer (24) and assists provider (17) this season. Messi comes second in both categories. The 34-year-old has scored seven goals and provided 11 assists (all in the league) across competitions for the Parisians.
🗣Kylian Mbappe:
“I've always said that if you have Messi , it's better for the team. He is very easy to play with, I have always wanted to play with him to have fun and learn.”
#PSG🔴🔵🐐🐢 https://t.co/xqFaLQ4hY2
Messi had a slow start to life in Paris, but has started to contribute a lot more frequently in recent weeks. The former Barcelona superstar has provided six assists in his last five Ligue 1 games. Messi also scored against Lille in February, which was his second league goal of the season.
PSG are away at Nice in Ligue 1 on Saturday. They will then travel to Madrid for their Champions League Round of 16 second leg on March 9, which they lead 1-0.