Lionel Messi’s 11th goal of the Ligue 1 season was class and clutch, but questions around a Neymar injury will take some joy out of Paris Saint-Germain’s 4-3 win over lille on Sunday at the Parc des Princes.
It was a thriller from front-to-back, as Neymar set up a Kylian Mbappe goal before scoring himself to have it 2-0 after 17 minutes only to see Lille strike thrice in a row before Mbappe made it 3-3 in the 87th minute to set up Messi’s grandstand finish.
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UPDATE: PSG confirmed on Monday that Neymar will undergo surgery to repair the ligament damage to his ankle and will therefore miss the remainder of the 2022-23 season as he rehabs.
Neymar Jr has sustained a number of instances of instability in his right ankle in recent years. Following his latest sprain on 20 February, the Paris Saint-Germain medical staff recommended a ligament repair operation to avoid a major risk of recurrence. All the experts consulted have confirmed this necessity.
The surgery will be performed in the next few days at the ASPETAR hospital in Doha.
It will take 3 to 4 months before he can return to training with the team.
But Neymar was hurt in the 51st minute. The Brazil living legend appeared to hurt his ankle and was in great pain when he was stretchered off the pitch and replaced by Hugo Ekitike.
PSG is in the middle of a brutal run of fixtures, off to Marseille on Sunday before hosting Nantes and then going to the Allianz Arena for a second leg against Bayern Munich
USMNT star Timothy Weah was left in a sort of left wingback role and had three key passes from the unusual position.
Lionel Messi goal video: Low free kick pushes PSG to win
PSG has lost three matches across all competitions and there were always going to be questions about reaction following a 1-0 loss to Bayern in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie.
Messi presided over the free kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time and delivered a sensational hit.
The World Cup winner swerved his offering through traffic and off the bottom inside of the post, leaving Lille’s Lucas Chevalier pawing the air.
¡REMONTA EL PSG!
— beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) February 19, 2023
Con un GOLAZO de tiro libre de Leo Messi, llega el triunfo de los parisinos
PSG 4-3 Lille 💥#Ligue1 🇫🇷 #PSGLOSC pic.twitter.com/sUZWUCFByt