Lionel Messi snatches dramatic winner for PSG after Neymar stretchered off

Parisians fight back from 3-2 down against Lille to win 4-3 in added time after Argentine's spectacular free-kick

Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring Paris Saint-Germain's winner in the 4-3 Ligue 1 win against Lille at Parc des Princes on February 19, 2023. AP

PSG's Lionel Messi scores the winner from a free-kick. AFP

Lionel Messi celebrates scoring the winning goal AFP

Lionel Messi, left, celebrates with his teammates Kylian Mbappe and Presnel Kimpembe after scoring. AP

Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring PSG's third goal with Juan Bernat. Reuters

Mbappe celebrates levelling at 3-3. Reuters

Jonathan Bamba celebrates scoring Lille's third goal to put them 3-2 ahead. Reuters

Lille's Jonathan David, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring to make it 2-2. AP

Lille's Bafode Diakite, left, pulls a goal back. AP

Bafode Diakite celebrates scoring for Lille. Reuters

PSG's Neymar is carried off the field on a stretcher after an injury. AP

Neymar celebrates with teammates Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi after scoring PSG's second goal. AP

Neyma celebrates with Kylian Mbappe after scoring. AP

PSG's Neymar celebrates after scoring. AP

Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring PSG's first goal at Parc des Princes. AFP

Mbappe celebrates after scoring. AP

Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their first goal with Nuno Mendes. Reuters

Lionel Messi scored a 95th-minute free-kick to give Paris Saint-Germain a 4-3 win over Lille in an extraordinary Ligue 1 game on Sunday.

Kylian Mbappe scored twice but Neymar was taken off on a stretcher with an apparent ankle injury during the see-saw showdown at Parc des Princes.

Messi's late winner came after PSG had squandered a two-goal lead and fallen 3-2 behind, with Mbappe grabbing a late equaliser before the Argentine's stunning strike.

The result ends a run of three straight defeats for PSG and moves them clear of second-placed Marseille, who host the leaders next weekend.

Of immediate concern to the Parisians will be the injury to Neymar, who looked to be in tears as he was helped on to a stretcher early in the second half after turning his ankle.

The Brazilian's fitness is now likely to dominate headlines in the run-up to next week's Marseille showdown but also the second leg of PSG's Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich on March 8.

Christophe Galtier's team were looking to bounce back from a 1-0 home loss to the Germans in the first leg of that tie and they went ahead early on against Lille through Mbappe, making his first start after returning from a thigh injury.

Neymar soon made it 2-0 against a side PSG beat 7-1 in their last meeting in August, but Bafode Diakite pulled one back for fifth-placed Lille midway through the first half.

The home side then saw Neymar carried off within five minutes of the second half starting, and Lille drew level when Jonathan David converted a penalty for his 17th goal this season following a Marco Verratti foul in the box.

Jonathan Bamba made it 3-2 to the away side with a superb finish and the home side looked set for a fourth successive loss before Mbappe converted from a Juan Bernat assist with just three minutes remaining.

That was his 27th goal this season in all competitions, but it was not the end of the drama as Messi won a free-kick when he was fouled just outside the area by Benjamin Andre.

The World Cup winner stepped up to dispatch the dead ball into the net off the post to round off a remarkable game.