LIONEL MESSI MADE his first appearance for Paris Saint-Germain since winning the World Cup with Argentina and scored in a 2-0 victory against Angers in Ligue 1 on Wednesday.
The win, which came three and a half weeks after he captained Argentina to their World Cup final triumph on penalties against France in Qatar, saw PSG move six points clear at the top of the French table.
Messi had been rested for PSG’s first three matches following the long break in the season caused by the World Cup but he returned to training in Paris a week ago and was back in the starting line-up for this match against Ligue 1′s bottom side.
Neymar also started, having missed his team’s last two matches, but Kylian Mbappe was rested for a second straight game.
That meant young striker Hugo Ekitike again started in the home attack at the Parc des Princes and he opened the scoring in the fifth minute from a Nordi Mukiele cross at the end of a move in which Messi also featured.
PSG were not at their sparkling best but Messi swept in his 13th club goal of the season to make it 2-0 with 17 minutes left.
Christophe Galtier’s team extended their lead at the top of the table as second-placed Lens were held to a 2-2 draw away at Strasbourg.
Elsewhere, Thibaut Courtois was the star for Real Madrid as they beat Valencia 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Riyadh on Wednesday to reach the Spanish Super Cup final.
The reigning Super Cup champions were below their best again amid a difficult start to 2023, but Courtois excelled, making crucial saves and then decisively denying Jose Gaya in the shootout after extra-time.
Madrid will go on to play either Barcelona or Real Betis, who play Thursday, in Sunday’s final.
La Liga champions Madrid, facing the Spanish Cup runners-up, had chances to win the game within 90 minutes but needed Courtois to make a stunning reflex save from Fran Perez in extra-time.
Karim Benzema had sent Madrid ahead from the penalty spot but Gennaro Gattuso’s side levelled at the start of the second half through Samuel Lino.
The Spanish Super Cup was first held in Saudi Arabia in 2020 in the current “final four” format — and will remain in the country until at least 2029, despite criticism over the hosts’ human rights record.
Los Blancos started strongly, with Benzema producing a glorious dribble, but Cenk Ozkacar did well to cut him off and block the French striker’s shot.
Madrid took the lead shortly before half-time, when Eder Militao played a fine ball over the top to send Benzema through.
The forward was clumsily felled in the area by Eray Comert and tucked away the resulting penalty, sending Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili the wrong way.
Courtois made a stunning save to deny Cavani before the break, although the veteran Uruguayan forward was offside.
It was a warning for what was to come, with Lino scoring just seconds after the restart at the King Fahd International Stadium, escaping Lucas Vazquez to finish Lato’s cross.
Vinicius Junior, who had been quiet, should have won the game for Madrid in stoppage time but Mamardashvili denied him with his legs from close range.
The Valencia goalkeeper denied the Brazilian again and made a fine save to keep out a vicious Toni Kroos drive in extra-time as Madrid turned the screw.
It was his counterpart Courtois’s turn to make a miraculous save as the clocked ticked down, showing sensational reflexes to deflect Perez’s near-post effort to safety.
Cavani and Benzema both converted from the spot in the shoot-out but Comert completed a poor individual night by firing over the bar and Luka Modric put Madrid ahead.
Los Blancos converted all four of their spot-kicks and did not need a fifth when Courtois read Gaya’s intentions and saved his effort down the middle.
In Italy, Michel Adopo dumped AC Milan out of the Italian Cup at the last 16 stage on Wednesday with the only goal in 10-man Torino’s 1-0 win at the San Siro after extra time.
France’s Adopo tapped home the winner from compatriot Brian Bayeye’s low cross in the 114th minute of an engaging match in which Koffi Djidji was sent off with 21 minutes remaining of normal time.
In the next month’s quarter-finals Torino will face either Sampdoria or Fiorentina who face off on Thursday. Roma host Genoa in Thursday’s late match while the remaining four ties are scheduled for next week.
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