MY ACCOUNT
Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar were all on target as Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to beat Maccabi Haifa 3-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Tjaronn Chery gave the Israeli side hope of a famous victory when he powered home from close range in the 24th minute.
But PSG responded well to that early setback and pulled level before the break when Messi stroked home following fine work by Mbappe.
France international Mbappe put the visitors ahead and Neymar then sealed the three points late on as PSG made it two wins from two in Group H following last week’s victory over Juventus.
Josh Cohen denied a clean-through Mbappe after just 70 seconds, while at the other end Gianluigi Donnarumma got down well to keep out Mohammad Abu Fani’s strike in the ninth minute.
Maccabi stunned the Ligue 1 giants shortly after the midway point of the first half when Chery stole in at the back post to volley home Dolev Haziza’s superb cross from six yards.
PSG restored parity eight minutes before the interval, though, when Messi clipped home from close range after Mbappe’s low cross from the left had been deflected into his path.
Frantzdy Pierrot squandered a golden opportunity to put Maccabi ahead again early in the second half, the forward narrowly directing Pierre Cornud’s cross past the post.
Messi was denied by a wonderful save from Cohen, but there was nothing the Maccabi goalkeeper could do to keep out Mbappe in the 69th minute as the 23-year-old curled past him after latching onto Messi’s pass.
Neymar then put the seal on the victory two minutes from full-time when he latched onto Marco Verratti’s ball over the top and fired a crisp finish past Cohen.
What does it mean? PSG end winless run on the road
Neymar’s late goal gave the scoreline a healthy look, but Christophe Galtier’s side were pushed all the way by their less illustrious opponents.
The victory ended a run of five away games in the Champions League without success for the Ligue 1 champions, who have started their Group H campaign in good shape.
Magical Messi
Messi’s goal saw him move clear of long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo as the player to have scored against the highest number of opponents in the Champions League (39). It also meant he became the first player in history to score in 18 different Champions League seasons.
Mbappe in elite company
Mbappe has now scored 30 goals in 46 Champions League games for PSG, taking him level with Edinson Cavani as the club’s highest scorer in the competition.
Key Opta Facts:
– Messi scored his 126th UEFA Champions League goal (120 for Barcelona, 6 for PSG), with Maccabi Haifa the 39th different team he has scored against, a record in the competition. He hasalso scored against teams from all 19 different nations he has played against, with this his first game against an Israeli side.
– Messi has now scored in 18 different Champions League seasons, a record for a player. The PSG forward has scored in every season from 2005-06 to 2022-23.
– Mbappé has scored 30 Champions League goals for PSG, a joint record for the club along with Edinson Cavani. He has now scored in his last six appearances in the competition, a new record for a French player in the competition.
What’s next?
Both sides return to domestic action on Sunday, with PSG away to Lyon and Maccabi visiting Hapoel Jerusalem.
