Berlin, September 29 (BNA): Lionel Messi scored his first goal with Paris Saint-Germain, today, Tuesday, as the French giant slightly avenged Manchester City after its defeat in the Champions League semi-finals last season with a 2-0 victory in the group stage.
The 34-year-old Argentine star joined Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona this summer, with the Qatari defender splashing out money in a serious bid to win the first continental title.
Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe had relatively quiet matches after Idrissa Guy’s opener in the eighth minute, but that changed in the 74th minute with a stroke of brilliance.
Messi rushed in from the right and played a double match with Mbappe on the edge of the penalty area and hit his left foot high into the top corner of the net.
Messi, who has returned from a knee injury, told Canal +: “I haven’t been able to play lately and this was only my second match at this stadium. I am adjusting to my new team.
“The more we play together in strikers, the better our relationship will be. We all need to grow together, improve and continue to give our best.”
It was tough on City, who created several chances throughout to be denied by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, another summer addition, and the woodworks Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva hit in a superb first-half sequence.
“It was a good performance. We did everything except to score,” said City coach Pep Guardiola, who managed Messi at Barcelona.
City’s biggest mistake in front of goal was Silva somehow hitting the crossbar with the net open after Sterling found the same spot on the wood with his initial effort.
“In this kind of game, those moments are always important,” Guardiola said.
Paris Saint-Germain leads Group A, with a goal difference from Club Brugge, who won 2-1 at the bottom of the standings, RB Leipzig, who also has four points.
Third-placed City are second as in the Premier League as they head to leaders Liverpool on Sunday. The Reds will enter this clash at their highest level after a 5-1 cruise away to Porto to lead Group B with six points.
“We had two good performances, presented ourselves well and got the results we deserved,” Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson told BT Sport. “It’s a good start but it’s not over yet.”
Antoine Griezmann equalized late for Atletico Madrid in Milan of 10, who sent off Frank Kessie in the first half, and Luis Suarez completed the 2-1 win with a penalty kick in his hand after seven minutes of injury time.
Meanwhile, 13-times champions Real Madrid were shocked 2-1 at home by Moldovan newcomer Sherif Tiraspol, whose fantasy novel continues to top Group D.
Luxembourg international Sebastian Thiel scored the superb winning goal in the 89th minute from the edge of the penalty area to score his second win in a row.
Gasorbek Yakhchibuev headed Sharif before the end of the first half to equalize Real Madrid with a penalty kick from Karim Benzema and dominated the second half.
Defensive lapses were ignored and Sharif’s late goal was disallowed for offside just before the moment of Thill’s glory.
Real is second in the group with three points, while Shakhtar Donetsk and Inter Milan each have a point after a goalless draw in Ukraine.
And in Group C, Ajax and Borussia Dortmund kept perfect records 2-0 over Besiktas and 1-0 over Sporting Lipson respectively.