PSG 3-1 Nantes: 5 Talking points as Messi ends league goal drought in hard-fought win | Ligue 1 2021-22
PSG resumed their Ligue 1 campaign after the international break with yet another win, dispatching Nantes 3-1 at the Parc des Princes on Saturday. It was far from a routine win for the hosts. But the highlight of the game was Lionel Messi's first league goal of the campaign, a trademark left-footed curler into the back of the net.
PSG got an early lead when Kylian Mbappe deflected Leandro Paredes' effort in the second minute. But Nantes did not let the early goal break their spirits. They were able to contain the fearsome trio of Mbappe, Messi and Neymar, with Alban Lafont making some smart saves in the first half.
Lionel Messi became the 17th player from Argentina 🇦🇷 to score for @PSG_English 🔴🔵 in @Ligue1_ENG 🇫🇷 https://t.co/JoDIhvSAos
While PSG dominated possession, their chances were limited from quick counter-attacks. Moreover, Nantes did not allow the home side too much space to operate in the final third.
The visitors came out strongly in the second half. They enjoyed the better share of chances, with Kalifa Coulibaly and Ludovic Blas coming close to pulling one back. They made very good use of their pace and width.
In the 65th minute, Ludovic Blas chased down a long ball with only Thilo Kehrer for company, but Keylor Navas came flying through way off his line. The challenge went awry, and the PSG custodian was shown the marching orders in an instant.
Mauricio Pochettino replaced Neymar to bring in Sergio Rico. That seemed to be the turning point in the game. Just 11 minutes later, Randal Kolo Muani beat Rico from close range with a backheel effort after a good initial save from the keeper.
With the game set for a dramatic finish, PSG got lucky as Dennis Appiah's sliding effort to intercept a pass led to an own goal. Three minutes from time, Messi sealed the fate of the game with a top-class finish from the edge of the box, with Mbappe picking up an assist.
It was business as usual for PSG, who maintain their pole position in the standings with another win. On that note, here's a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 PSG kept Lafont busy, but scored just once in the first half
PSG were relentless in the first half. After getting on the scoresheet just 101 seconds after kick-off, they were hungry for more. They worked well, but failed to create too many clear-cut chances.
Messi seemed to be the focal point of everything in attack, accounting for six of the 14 shots Les Parisiens recorded in the game. While he was very active, Messi was not effective and lacked conviction.
Lafont deserves credit for dealing well with Messi's shots as he frustrated the hosts. While they did not regret missing these chances, against a more attacking side, the outcome of the game could've been very different.
#4 Keylor Navas' red card only impacted PSG briefly
Keylor Navas came off his line to deny Nantes a clear goal-scoring chance. He had to face the music, as he was shown a straight red card for his challenge on Blas. The numerical superiority for Nantes impacted PSG, who conceded just 11 minutes after Navas' dismissal.
65'
Red card for Keylor Navas.
#PSGFCN
Fortunately for them, they regrouped in the final quarter, scoring twice despite Neymar being taken off the field.