Neymar stretchered off as PSG beat Lille with Messi free-kick
Brazilian striker Neymar had to be stretchered off after suffering an ankle injury during PSG’s epic comeback win over LOSC Lille.
Lionel Messi scored the winner with a stunning free kick in the fifth minute of injury time to secure a 4-3 win, but the Parisians were dealt a significant blow earlier in the game.
Neymar suffers injury
Early in the second-half, Neymar collided with Lille midfielder Benjamin Andre as he attempted to win the ball but twisted his ankle during an awkward landing.
The 31-year-old initially attempted to walk off the field but had to be stretchered off, unable to hold back tears. Neymar is now severely doubtful for PSG’s second-leg Champions League encounter against Bayern Munich.
The French side trail Bayern by 1-0 from the first leg and will need to be firing on all cylinders to overturn the deficit at the Allianz Arena.
This season, Neymar has been a vital player for Christophe Galtier’s side, scoring 17 goals and grabbing 16 assists across all competitions.
Messi clinches winner
The game itself was a thriller that saw the momentum see-saw between PSG and Lille multiple times.
PSG led by two early goals when Neymar and Kylian Mbappe scored one each inside the first twenty minutes to give PSG a comfortable lead.
However, Lille then took the initiative and scored three unanswered goals as they went 3-2 up. It seemed that the away side would walk away with an astonishing win, but Mbappe tied it up in the 87th minute.
With the game heading towards a draw, Messi scored the winner in the 95th minute to give his side the win and lift the roof off the Parc des Princes.
The result means that the reigning Champions lead the Ligue 1 standings with 57 points from 24 games, eight clear of second-placed Marseille, who play later on Sunday evening.
Photo credit: IMAGO / PanoramiC