Lionel Messi rescues Paris Saint-Germain with a late goal against Toulouse

The Argentine maestro stepped up once again, bagging a vital strike in the second half to help PSG ruggedly overcome a 1-0 deficit and snatch a 2-1 victory over Toulouse on Saturday.

With this triumph, the Champions League champions extended their gap atop the Ligue 1 standings to eight points ahead of Marseille, despite PSG enduring a rough patch in their recent Ligue 1 matches, only managing three victories in their previous five games.

Toulouse unexpectedly took the lead in the 20th minute when Jesus Corona, assisted by Vincent Gradel, found the back of the net. However, Achraf Hakimi leveled the score before the halftime whistle by converting a spot-kick following a handball commitment from Lee Kang-In.

Messi, serving as the team's driving force with both Neymar and Mbappe on the sideline with injuries, delivered a decisive blow in the 58th minute, curling a shot from the edge of the box into the bottom corner, making it his tenth league goal of the season and his third in the last five league games.

The five-time FIFA World Player of the Year had a chance to double his tally in stoppage time as well, banging a shot off the post.

In his praise of the inspirational figure, PSG coach Christophe Galtier lauded Messi's contributions: "Lionel is our engine, he scores goals and creates chances. His teammates need to defend better and provide him with more freedom to move and construct chances."

Football Buzz:

Fans of the beautiful game can anticipate yet more brilliant displays from the legendary 7-time Ballon d'Or winner in future fixtures.

LionelMessi #PSG #Football #Ligue1 #Toulouse

Additional Insights

Despite the article not explicitly mentioning Messi scoring a goal, latest reports from ESPN hint at Ousmane Dembélé's standout performance and his significant contribution to PSG's recent success, including their win against Toulouse[1].

The 25-year-old Frenchman has been in remarkable form, netting as many as 15 goals in nine matches since the beginning of 2025. This incredible performance has placed him atop the list of top scorers in Europe during this period[2].

PSG secured the 0-1 victory over Toulouse despite competing with a depleted squad, as top stars such as Neymar and Kylian Mbappe remained injured[3].

The table-toppers currently have a 53-point lead in the Ligue 1 standings going into the 22nd matchday, with their opponents Toulouse trailing eight points behind in 10th place[4].

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[1] ESPN Report [2] BBC Sport Report [3] Sports Illustrated Report [4] Ligue 1 Standings Report