Lionel Messi Makes History With 700th Club Goal, PSG Takes Control of Ligue 1 Title Race

Paris Saint-Germain boosted their chances of claiming the Ligue 1 title on Sunday, with a commanding 3-0 win over their arch-rival Marseille to extend their lead at the summit of the standings to eight points.

Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi put on a show of attacking football, contributing to all three of PSG’s goals and each achieving personal milestones in the process.

Lionel Messi achieved a milestone in his career, notching his 700th goal for a club, an achievement that is shared only with Cristiano Ronaldo. Meanwhile, Mbappé equaled the record for PSG by scoring his 200th goal for the Parisian side.

Mbappé achieved his century of goals in a mere 246 matches, 55 fewer than the 301 matches it took Edinson Cavani to reach the same milestone, according to Opta.

Christophe Galtier, the PSG head coach, was certain that he is the most impressive striker in the world. He noted that he plays with great speed, completing his actions rapidly and with intensity. Galtier noted that he is able to be present in crucial matches, which is a mark of a great player.

Marseille had won against PSG earlier this month, eliminating them from the French Cup, and began the Sunday game as the more dominant team.

Despite their initial superiority, Marseille ultimately conceded the game as Paris Saint-Germain ran rampant and seized control of the match.

At the half-time whistle, PSG had a comfortable 2-0 lead, with both Messi and Mbappé contributing a goal and an assist between them. Marseille, however, was thankful that the scoreline wasn’t worse.

Mbappé sealed the deal 10 minutes into the second half, running onto Messi’s ingenious through ball and expertly volleying it into the bottom corner.

Despite a flurry of late pressure from Marseille, PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was able to stand tall and produce some key saves, resulting in the team’s first shutout since their 7-0 victory over sixth-tier Pays de Cassel in January.

Though not all were positive for Paris Saint-Germain, defender Presnel Kimpembe was forced to leave the field prematurely due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, as later confirmed by head coach Galtier.

At the conclusion of the match, Galtier was engaged in a heated exchange with some supporters of Marseille near the PSG bench, necessitating the intervention of other members of the coaching staff to escort him away.

PSG will face Nantes in Ligue 1 on Saturday, before focusing on Bayern Munich in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 ties on Tuesday, aiming to overturn the 1-0 deficit they currently face.

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