PSG's wildly inconsistent form since club football restarted was perfectly encapsulated by Sunday's riotous 4-3 win over Lille at the Parc des Princes.
The PSG Ultras ran the gamut of demanding a statue for Kylian Mbappé, calling for the heads of all these overpaid pretenders and finally celebrating deliriously as chants of "Messi, Messi, Messi" reverberated around Paris. Just another day for les Parisiens.
The home side looked set for a stroll after Mbappé and Neymar scored inside 17 minutes.
Back in the starting lineup after nursing an injury that forced him to start on the bench against Bayern Munich last Tuesday, Mbappé used all greatest attributes to full effect on PSG's opening goal.
¡GOOOLAZO DEL PSG!
Con taco a bordo, Mbappé pone el 1-0 para los parisinosNo te pierdas el PSG vs. Lille en vivo por beIN SPORTS Ñ#Ligue1 #PSGLOSC pic.twitter.com/qr2KYgpnP6
— beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) February 19, 2023
After getting credit for the easiest of assists on Mbappé's solo effort, Neymar doubled PSG's advantage with a slapstick goal. This would be the Brazilian's last major contribution before coming off with an ankle injury in the 51st minute. He left the pitch in tears, which means absolutely nothing when it comes to Neymar (he also cried during the World Cup but his injury wasn't serious), but remember that the return leg against Bayern is on Mar. 8.
¡OTRO DEL PSG!
En menos de 20 minutos, Neymar pone el 2-0 para los parisinosNo te pierdas el PSG vs. Lille en vivo por beIN SPORTS Ñ#Ligue1 #PSGLOSC pic.twitter.com/BkiJRSoY1u
— beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) February 19, 2023
But after establishing that 2-0 lead, PSG conceded three straight. First, in the 24th minute, Bafodé Diakité snapped a header off Andre Gomes' cross. Then Jonathan David equalized from the penalty spot in the 58th minute (the Canadian's 15th league goal of the campaign). Jonathan Bamba gave Lille an improbable 3-2 advantage in the 69th as the mood inside the stadium turned foul.
¡EL TERCERO DEL LILLE!
Jonathan Bamba pone el 2-3 para la visitaNo te pierdas el PSG vs. Lille en vivo por beIN SPORTS Ñ#Ligue1 #PSGLOSC pic.twitter.com/wTz9nVBtIw
— beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) February 19, 2023
PSG looked destined for another defeat as we approached the final minutes, but Lille's American fullback Timothy Weah got badly beaten by Juan Bernat in the 87th and he teed up Mbappé for the equalizer.
¡ASÍ EMPATÓ EL PSG!
Mbappé selló su doblete y puso el 3-3 para los parisinosPSG 4-3 Lille #Ligue1 #PSGLOSC pic.twitter.com/7kBIUbvXXE
— beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) February 19, 2023
That wasn't the end of the script. Five minutes into stoppage time, Messi — who'd been the quietest of PSG's front three — stood over a free-kick central to goal and whipped an effort off the inside of the post and in.
¡REMONTA EL PSG!
Con un GOLAZO de tiro libre de Leo Messi, llega el triunfo de los parisinosPSG 4-3 Lille #Ligue1 #PSGLOSC pic.twitter.com/sUZWUCFByt
— beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) February 19, 2023
Watch it again.
LIONEL MESSI's EPIC GOLAZO FOR THE WIN! #Ligue1 #PSGLOSC pic.twitter.com/pVhfYAcCke
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) February 19, 2023
"The match was not great, we made a lot of mistakes but we have shown that even when the context is not favorable, we can get through," Mbappé told Prime Video after the game. "We are a different team, we can get by all the time."
PSG moves eight points clear of Marseille with the victory, but les Phocéens have a game in hand against Toulouse later on Sunday.