Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to beat Maccabi Haifa 3-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar all scoring.
Tjaronn Chery scored from close range in the 24th minute to give Israel hope of a famous victory.
PSG, however, responded well to that early setback, drawing level before the break when Messi stroked home following excellent work by Mbappe.
Following last week’s victory over Juventus, France international Mbappe put the visitors ahead, and Neymar sealed the three points late on as PSG made it two wins from two in Group H.
After only 70 seconds, Josh Cohen denied Mbappe a clean-through, while Gianluigi Donnarumma got down well to deny Mohammad Abu Fani’s strike in the ninth minute.
Chery stole in at the back post to volley home Dolev Haziza’s superb cross from six yards, shocking the Ligue 1 giants shortly after the half-hour mark.
PSG leveled the score eight minutes before the break when Messi clipped home from close range after Mbappe’s low cross from the left was deflected into his path.
Frantzdy Pierrot missed a golden opportunity to put Maccabi back ahead early in the second half, narrowly directing Pierre Cornud’s cross past the post.
Messi was denied by a fantastic save from Cohen, but there was nothing the Maccabi goalkeeper could do in the 69th minute when Mbappe curled past him after latching onto Messi’s pass.
Two minutes from the end, Neymar sealed the victory by latching onto Marco Verratti’s ball over the top and firing a crisp finish past Cohen.
What does it imply? PSG’s winless road streak comes to an end.
The scoreline looked healthy after Neymar’s late goal, but Christophe Galtier’s team was pushed all the way by their less illustrious opponents.
The victory ended a run of five Champions League away games without a win for the Ligue 1 champions, who have started well in Group H.
Messi is a magician.
Messi’s goal moved him ahead of long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo as the player with the most goals against the most opponents in the Champions League (39). It also made him the first player in Champions League history to score in 18 different seasons.
Mbappe among the elite
Mbappe now has 30 goals in 46 Champions League games for PSG, tying him with Edinson Cavani as the club’s top scorer in the competition.
Facts about Opta:
- Messi scored his 126th UEFA Champions League goal (120 for Barcelona, 6 for PSG), with Maccabi Haifa becoming the 39th team he has scored against, a competition record. He has also scored against teams from all 19 different countries he has faced, with this being his first game against an Israeli team.
- Messi now has 18 different Champions League seasons in which he has scored, a record for a player. From 2005-06 to 2022-23, the PSG forward has scored in every season.
- Mbappé has 30 Champions League goals for PSG, a club record he shares with Edinson Cavani. He has now scored in his last six competition appearances, a new record for a French player in the competition.
What comes next?
On Sunday, both teams return to domestic action, with PSG visiting Lyon and Maccabi visiting Hapoel Jerusalem.