PSG boss Pochettino says Lens 'made us suffer' as physical approach leaves Messi in a daze

Wijnaldum's injury-time equaliser salvages 1-1 draw as Paris Saint-Germain extend lead at top of Ligue 1 to 13 points

Paris Saint-Germain's Lionel Messi. EPA

Paris Saint-Germain's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi vies with Lens' Ivorian midfielder Seko Fofana. AFP

Paris Saint-Germain's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi. AFP

Paris Saint-Germain's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi fights for the ball with Lens' Ivorian midfielder Seko Fofana and Lens' French midfielder Yannick Cahuzac. AFP

Lionel Messi in action with Lens' Yannick Cahuzac. Reuters

Lionel Messi reacts. Reuters

Lionel Messi in action against Lens. AFP

Paris St Germain's Lionel Messi walks off the pitch at the final whistle. Reuters

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - RC Lens v Paris St Germain - Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens, France - December 4, 2021 Paris St Germain's Lionel Messi REUTERS / Pascal Rossignol

Paris Saint-Germain's Georginio Wijnaldum reacts after scoring to make it 1-1. EPA

Paris Saint-Germain's Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum heads the ball to score. AFP

Paris Saint-Germain's Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum celebrates. AFP

Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe in action. EPA

Paris Saint-Germain's Marquinhos in action. EPA

Players of Lens celebrate their 1-0 lead. EPA

Lens' Jonathan Clauss and coach Franck Haise. Reuters

Lens' Seko Fofana celebrates scoring their first goal. Reuters

Paris Saint-Germain's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi runs with the ball. AFP

RC Lens fans cheers their team at Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Reuters

Paris Saint-Germain's Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi fights for the ball with Lens' Portuguese midfielder David Costa. AFP

Paris St Germain's Mauro Icardi shoots at goal. Reuters

Georginio Wijnaldum's injury-time equaliser allowed Paris Saint-Germain to snatch a 1-1 draw away to Lens in Ligue 1 on Saturday in a match which confirmed Lionel Messi's difficulties adapting to the physical nature of French football.

Messi was floored by a strong tackle and some PSG players stopped playing in the build-up to Seko Fofana's goal which gave Lens a 62nd-minute lead in northern France.

It looked as if that would be enough for Lens to claim a victory which would have been just reward for an outstanding performance that delighted the crowd of close to 37,000.

However, PSG equalised in the second minute of injury time as Kylian Mbappe crossed for fellow substitute Wijnaldum to head home.

PSG extended their lead at the top of Ligue 1 to 13 points from Marseille, beaten 2-1 at home by Brest earlier on Saturday.

"Lens is a very good team and very physical. They made us suffer. Overall I think we knew how to suffer in different periods of the game and I think the draw is a fair result," Pochettino told broadcaster Canal Plus.

"It wasn't our best night but the effort was there and when the effort is there you have to congratulate the players, but we know very well we need to do better."

It was a PSG side missing Neymar, who is out with an ankle injury and not expected to return before mid-January, while their nine-goal top scorer Mbappe was rested at kick-off before coming on to help save the day.

Messi, won his seventh Ballon d'Or at the start of the week, still has just one goal from nine Ligue 1 appearances and he struggled to make his presence felt against an impressive Lens side who lie fifth in the table.

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