Why Messi, Mbappe have a sad day as PSG concede late goal; Reim's hero Balogun on loan from Arsenal
Arsenal has been going high this season top in the English Premier League(EPL) table, to beat Manchester 2nd for 5 points to be the game in hand. The impact of North London club on Sunday transcended to the French League.
Gunners were lent In Ligue 1, Folarin Balogun assisted Reims in a 1-1 tie with Paris Saint-Germain, led by Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar Jr. With the draw, the current league leaders in France dropped points for the seventh time this season.
Balogun scored the game-winning goal in the final seconds of the second half to earn a point for the visiting team in the French capital, with PSG leading 1-0 thanks to a strike from Neymar Jr.
Another angle of Balogun’s late goal and celebration against PSG #AFC pic.twitter.com/ew7lCcPTpb
— AFC LoanWatch (@AFC_Loanwatch) January 29, 2023
Balogun received a through pass from the center and circled PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma before shooting the ball from an awkward angle into an empty net.
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, the stars of PSG's 2022 World Cup final, had a lackluster performance in the encounter. Mbappe, who got a hat-trick in the championship game and more recently scored five against Pays de Cassel in PSG's 7-0 Cup of France victory, was unable to capitalize on or create opportunities against Reims, who was in 11th place. Lionel Messi, who had only a month before led Argentina to their first World Cup victory in 36 years, agreed.
After the game, William Still, the manager of Reims, exclaimed, "We offered intriguing things whether it was with the ball or without." A team was on the field, and it was a team that was eager to play in Parc des Princes and pleased to do so. We lacked any complexes. Although the goal we gave up was frustrating, it was a game-related incident. We persisted and did not give up, and in the end, we were rewarded.
"It is difficult against 10 men when the situation changes," he continued. You lose your bearings, and we floated aimlessly for 10, 15, or 20 minutes while knowing that PSG's biggest threat was during the transition. As we were aware of Mbappe's potential for speed, we intended to bait them into a trap. We had to adjust after the red and begin to push. I reminded the players after the game that while getting a point was fantastic, it would be pointless if we did not defeat Lorient.
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