Watch: Lionel Messi scores stunning free-kick for PSG, curls ball into top corner

Lionel Messi was in brilliant form as he scored a stunning free-kick during PSG’s narrow 2-1 win vs Nice, at the Parc des Princes in Paris. The Argentine attacker opened the scoring in the 29th-minute, curling the ball into the top-corner. After Messi’s goal, Gaetan Laborde equalised for Nice from close range just after half-time. But substitute Kylian Mbappe had other plans, latching onto a pass from Nordi Mukiele to score past Kasper Schmeichel in the 83rd-minute.

Here is the video of Messi’s free-kick:

Meanwhile after the match, PSG head coach Christophe Galtier spoke to PSG TV and said that his team ‘created the chances that allowed’ them to win. “It’s always the case with this kind of match after the international breaks, when many players have travelled and played a lot. We have a very busy schedule with very high objectives, and I decided to start with this eleven to bring freshness but also so that my players can really be a part of this squad”, he said.

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“In the first half there were some interesting things – even though we didn’t create many situations – but there were some interesting things. And suddenly, at the beginning of the second half, we came in sluggish, without energy, without rhythm or intensity and we let Nice, who played a good match, have a monopoly on the game. And then we got into trouble by chasing the ball, by not winning our challenges, by not playing the ball out as we should have done. And deservedly, Nice equalised. We had to put in more energy, more speed and depth.”

“I am satisfied with Hugo Ekitiké’s first match. In a difficult context and against a very compact defence, he worked a lot for the team and made sure he had good technical relationships with his partners. But as soon as we got our attacking trio back together, it put more pressure on the opposition defence, we played the ball out better and we created the chances that allowed us to win”, he further added.