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Kylian Mbappe grabbed himself a brace while Lionel Messi was at his usual best as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) beat Angers 2-1 on Friday (April 21).
The Parisians headed into the clash with Angers off a vital 3-1 win over title rivals Lens. Mbappe bagged the opener in that game and did so again at the Stade Raymond Kopa.
Lionel Messi started the move in the ninth minute, lifting a delightful ball over the top of Angers' defence and into Juan Bernat. The Spaniard played the ball onto Mbappe who initially mishit it but poked it past French goalkeeper Paul Bernardoni.
Mbappe grabbed his second in the 26th minute, and once again Messi carved up magic. The Argentine icon lifted a perfect ball into his teammate's path. Mbappe had the composure to round Berardoni and fire into an empty net.
It wasn't all plain sailing for PSG, though, as it was the hosts who had more shots. Angers managed 16 attempts to the Parisians' ten. However, they didn't convert any of their chances till the 87th minute.
Yan Valery played a brilliant ball into Abdallah Sima. He then headed the ball down to Sada Thioub, who fired past Parisians goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. It was a merited goal given a lethargic showing from the visitors in the second half.
However, it was mere consolation for Angers, as Christophe Galtier's side sealed a hard-earned 2-1 win. That means PSG sit on 75 points, 11 ahead of second-placed Marseille who face Lyon on Sunday (April 23).
One fan was mesmerised by Messi's exploits during his side's win:
"Messi is the best player that is my GOAT."
Another was critical of PSG boss Galtier:
"2-1 win but it was pretty pathetic and lethargic, really an unacceptable performance. It really does appear that Galtier has lost his influence on this team. ... Let's just win the league and move on to next season"
Here's how Twitter reacted to Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi's side sealing a crucial win:
Jordi Alba wants PSG's Lionel Messi's Barcelona return
Lionel Messi continues to be linked with a departure from PSG with his contract expiring at the end of the season. The Argentine icon had been expected to sign a renewal after the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
However, talks have reached an impasse, and talk of Messi returning to Barcelona has heightened over recent weeks. Blaugrana left-back Jordi Alba is the latest to give his take on a potential reunion with the legendary forward. He told GOAL:
“It is Leo's decision. Honestly, we haven't talked about this topic, but it's clear that in the end, seeing Messi with another shirt other than Barca's is always weird."
Alba added that Messi's return would be perfect, but that it's a decision the player has to make:
"In the end, if he wants to and the club wants to, it's perfect for me. He has been the player with whom I have understood the best on the pitch."
Reports claim that Barca are in discussions with La Liga more financial flexibility ahead of the summer. Their potential signing of Messi is becoming increasingly likely.
