Lionel Messi scored his first goal for PSG and found the net again, at club level, after four months.

Paris, September 28 (RHC/PL)-- - Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defeated Manchester City 2-0 at home today in the second round of the Champions League, a match in which Lionel Messi scored his first red-and-blue goal.
 
The more than 40 thousand people present at the Parc des Princes in the capital enjoyed an interesting rematch of the semi-final of the last Champions League -in which the red-and-blue team lost to Josep Guardiola's City-, a match in which the Parisians had their luxury trident Messi-Kylian Mbappé-Neymar after the Argentine star recovered from an injury.

Just eight minutes into the first half, a PSG team move down the right culminated in Idrissa Gueye's shot, but then the visitors, led by Riyad Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne, took the lead.

Good saves by Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and bad luck, such as the ball that hit the post twice in the 27th minute, deprived the 'Citizens' of the equalizer, an ineffectiveness that eventually took its toll.

Amid the visitors' dominance, Messi led a counter-attack in the 74th minute in combination with Mbappé and the Argentine unleashed a left-footed cross to score his first goal since arriving this summer in the City of Light.

The dream trident did not shine as expected, but it showed its potential in the two home goals, so it took a better note than in the 2021-2022 Champions League debut clash, in which PSG were held to a 1-1 draw by understated Brugge.

The Parisians' manager Mauricio Pochettino surprised by starting young goalkeeper Donnarumma over veteran Costa Rican Keylor Navas, and the Azzurri did not disappoint with his brilliant performance.

Both PSG and City are among the favorites to win this year's 'orejona' cup, a trophy missing from their trophy cabinets, and they should have no problems to leave Brugge and Leipzig in the way in Champions League group A.

In the other group match, Brugge beat Leipzig 2-1 in Germany.