Star striker Lionel
Messi received a rapturous reception on Saturday as he was presented to a full
stadium of Paris Saint-Germain fans before watching his team-mates beat
Strasbourg 4-2 in Ligue 1.
Messi ran out onto the pitch along with PSG’s other summer
signings, with a 48,000-full house greeting the six-time Ballon d’Or winner
despite the welcome ceremony taking place an hour before kick-off.
Messi joined fellow recruits Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi
Donnarumma, Georginio Wijnaldum and Achraf Hakimi on a stage set up on the turf
at the Parc des Princes, and the flashy presentation ceremony threatened to
overshadow the match itself.
The Argentine later watched from the stands alongside Neymar
and Angel di Maria — the trio not yet considered match-fit having enjoyed an
extended break after playing at the Copa America — as Mauricio Pochettino’s
team made it two wins from two Ligue 1 matches this season.
They led 3-0 at half-time thanks to goals by Mauro Icardi
and Julian Draxler either side of a Ludovic Ajorque own goal, but Kevin Gameiro
and Ajorque netted after the interval to bring the visitors back into the
contest.
However Pablo Sarabia made sure of the win late on after Strasbourg had been reduced to 10 men in the first match played before a full house at the Parc des Princes since before the Covid-19 pandemic struck in March last year.
🆕🎥
Revivez la présentation de nos 5⃣ recrues dans une ambiance incroyable 👏❤️💙
💎 #NewDiamondsInParis pic.twitter.com/N9x3eufimB
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) August 14, 2021
“With all that has been happening at the club, it was
not easy to stay focused on the game,” Pochettino admitted to broadcaster
Canal Plus.
Mbappe jeered before
kick-off
Among the spectators here were Formula One driver Pierre
Gasly, French former Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner and NBA star Evan
Fournier.
All wanted to get a glimpse of Messi, but the Argentine is
not likely to make his Paris debut for another couple of weeks yet.
While Messi is the new idol of the PSG support, those fans
jeered when Mbappe’s name was read out by the stadium announcer ahead of kick
off.
The France striker is in the spotlight with speculation that
he will seek a move away from PSG before the transfer window shuts — he has so
far refused to extend his contract, which expires at the end of the campaign.
“Kylian is focused on what he has to do here. He had a
really good game and he needs to continue like that,” Pochettino added.
Mbappe played a key part in PSG’s victory, which looked a
certainty from the moment Icardi headed in Abdou Diallo’s cross in the third
minute.
The second goal arrived in the 25th minute when Mbappe’s
shot went in via a cruel deflection off the face of Ajorque, and two minutes
later it was Mbappe’s cross that was turned in at the back post by Draxler.
Humiliation for
champions Lille
Nevertheless former PSG striker Gameiro pulled one back for
Strasbourg with a well-taken header not long after half-time, and giant
frontman Ajorque then scored with a header of his own to make it 3-2.
Mbappe had come close in between those goals and PSG were
sweating before their opponents had defender Alexander Djiku sent off nine
minutes from time when a foul on Icardi earned him a second booking.
PSG then secured a 4-2 win with four minutes left when
Mbappe burst towards the byline and cut the ball back for substitute Sarabia to
convert.
Earlier Lille — who defied expectations to pip PSG to the
title last season — suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat at home to Nice, whose
coach Christophe Galtier joined in the summer from the champions.
Galtier oversaw Lille’s remarkable title triumph in May but
then ended his three-and-a-half-year association with the club and headed south
to take charge of an ambitious Nice outfit owned by Ineos, the group chaired by
British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe.
Denmark striker Kasper Dolberg bagged a brace for Nice, his
goals coming either side of a Hicham Boudaoui strike and a penalty converted by
Amine Gouiri.
