PARIS (Reuters) - Lionel Messi scored a stunning free kick in added time to earn Paris St Germain a 4-3 comeback win over Lille on Sunday and lift them seven points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 standings.
PSG, who have struggled for consistency since their return from the World Cup break, extended their lead over the chasing pack, while AS Monaco moved into second with a 2-1 win over Brest.
Third-placed Olympique de Marseille travel to Toulouse later on Sunday.
Lille almost caught hosts PSG off guard in the opening 40 seconds when Timothy Weah’s low shot took a wicked deflection, but Gianluigi Donnarumma was down fast to save with his legs.
PSG quickly grew into the game after the early scare at the Parc des Princes, with Messi hitting the target from a tight angle after being played through by Neymar.
Kylian Mbappe, making his first start since a two-week injury layoff, opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a brilliant piece of individual skill, ghosting past two opponents and squeezing a shot under keeper Lucas Chevalier.
“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. We are a different team, we can get by all the time,” Mbappe told Prime Video.
Christophe Galtier’s side doubled their lead six minutes later when Neymar tapped in a Vitinha cross to finish off a flowing move.