Lyon vs. PSG live score, updates, highlights as early Lionel Messi goal has PSG up in second half

by 24britishtvSept. 18, 2022, 8 p.m. 44
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First-place PSG will take their undefeated record on the road to face long-time rivals Olympique Lyon in the marquee match of the Ligue 1 slate. Lyon enter the match in sixth place, six points behind Les Parisiens.

PSG are rolling so far in 2022/23 under new manager Christophe Galtier, and their attacking trident of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Neymar have never looked better. With the international break looming and the next match scheduled for Oct. 1, it may not be the time to rest them and potentially upset the team's current run of nine wins and a draw from their opening 10 matches across all competitions.

Lyon are eager to get their season back on track after two straight road losses against Lorient (3-1) and AS Monaco (2-1). Those results came as a surprise after Lyon won four of their first five matches of the season.

Olympique Lyon is a side that enjoys big games at their Groupama Stadium, where they have won eight straight matches in league play. They should turn up for the occasion with PSG's manager already anticipating heavy Lyon pressing and intensity from the start. This matchup finished 1-1 when they last met on Jan. 9, but Neymar and Messi didn't dress for the match.

It's a natural rivalry between these two of France's most successful clubs who have won 15 of the last 21 French Ligue 1 titles between them. Galtier was part of the Lyon coaching staff that won their last Ligue 1 title in 2007/08 under then manager Alain Perrin behind the goal scoring of current Real Madrid star Karim Benzema.

MORE: How PSG came from behind to beat Maccabi Haifa

The Sporting News will be following the match live and providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.

47th min: Chance, PSG! Just after the restart, PSG are into the attack down the left, and it's cleared off the line! Messi sends the goalkeeper to ground with a fake shot, then looks to chip into the net, but there is 19-year-old Castello Lukeba to head the ball away right on the goal line! What a start to the half!

And what a move by Messi to send the goalkeeper and a defender to the ground with his fake. He's only foiled by the young defender on the goal line.

46th min: Back under way for the second half. Hosts make a change, with former Bayern Munich midfielder Corentin Tolisso withdrawn in favor for Johann Lepenant. It's a surprising move, as Tolisso was solid in the first half, helping Lyon present a stiff test to the PSG midfield as the half drew on. Maybe an injury?

The visitors got off to a perfect start, with Lionel Messi delivering a sixth-minute opener, but it was a war after that.

Lyon had a great spell of attacking possession around the half-hour mark, and were unlucky to come away empty-handed. Lacazette was bright up front, but missed his best opportunity. We're in store for an intriguing second-half in a game where the next goal will be pivotal.

39th min: Marco Verratti earns his customary yellow card after he scythes down Malo Gusto. It's a clear yellow, but the Italian is furious that a foul wasn't called on a tackle of Neymar moments earlier. Verratti's hack appeared to be a bit of retaliation.

32nd min: Chance, PSG! Oh how lucky Lopez is that Mbappe's shot hasn't trickled in! The Frenchman got a very tight-angle shot — from nearly the same spot as Messi earlier in the half — and he looks to nutmeg the goalkeeper. Lopez barely keeps the effort out, making a kick save off his left heel that just barely trickles past the near post over the end line, inches from deflecting into the back of the net.

The chance comes after a stunning bit of skill from Mbappe to keep possession, which has the crowd up in applause.

30th min: Chance, Lyon! The home side is starting to pepper the PSG shot, growing into the match quickly. Lacazette puts both Verratti and Ramos in a spin cycle. Donnarumma forced to make a low save again. PSG will need to clean things up to maintain their lead.

27th min: An outlandish pass from Messi unlocks the Lyon defense again, but Lacazette comes back to make a vital challenge and end the PSG chance at the critical moment.

22nd min: Chance, Lyon! How has Lacazette missed that?? The Frenchman got by Nuno at the far post to meet a cross, and his header had plenty of room to sneak past Donnarumma, but instead he pokes it wide of the post. It's a gut-wrenching miss as Lyon won't figure to get many chances like that.

Moments later, Donnarumma is required to make a tight-angle save off a Toko Ekambi shot at the other end of his net, with Lyon maybe starting to build in confidence moving forward. Should have come away with an equalizer.

20th min: Lyon in the attack after a PSG turnover, but Dembele rushes a volley and rifles it well over the goal. Lyon look disjointed save for a few good tackles in midfield. They're struggling with the onslaught of PSG possession.

14th min: PSG are beginning to dominate the match in larger spurts, and Kyilan Mbappe feeds Messi for a chance at the near post, but it's at a very tight angle along the end line, and Lopez makes the point-blank save.

8th min: Lyon's first venture into the PSG penalty area sees Tete chasing a through ball, but Danilo is on hand to clear before the Brazilian can reach it. Moments later, both Hakimi and Verratti are fouled in midfield.

6th min: GOAL! PSG! Just as we say the match had started slow — and it had — PSG go in front with the game's very first attack. It's a brilliant one-two between Messi and Neymar at the top of the penalty area, and it's Lionel Messi to finish it off with a low curler the ball past Lopez, the first shot of the match. Kylian Mbappe contributed too, involved in the attack off the ball, pulling defenders his way.

Lyon behind at home after just barely getting their legs under them in the match.

4th min: Neymar is fouled in midfield. Both teams have possessed the ball so far, but neither has threatened the opposition attacking third. A very slow start to the match.

1st min: We're under way in Lyon! PSG with their toughest Ligue 1 test thus far, with the three-headed attacking monster in spectacular form. On the other side, Alexandre Lacazette is also in great form, back in his home country.

25 mins to kick: All three of the PSG attacking monster are in great form, but it's Neymar who has started this season head & shoulders above the rest. The Brazilian has already collected eight goals and six assists in league play alone through the first seven matches, plus another three goals and one assist in Cup competition.

45 mins to kick: PSG have lost just once to Lyon in their last eight meetings across all competitions, a 1-0 defeat at Parc des Princes in December of 2020 that saw Kylian Mbappe come off the bench to play 25 minutes. Otherwise, PSG have collected six wins and two draws, with one of those draws ending in a trophy as PSG won the 2020 Coupe de France final on penalties after a 0-0 full-time result.

51 mins to kick: The lineups are in after a bit of a delay to normal proceedings. The PSG lineup is nearly as expected, with Danilo replacing the injured Kimpembe in defense, just as he did midweek in the Champions League. The one surprise is Fabian Ruiz in midfield, replacing Vitinha.

For Lyon, it's a very attacking lineup as Peter Bosz goes with Dembele, Lacazette, Toko Ekambi, and Tete all in the lineup, suggesting a 4-4-2 with a pair of deep-lying playmakers running the show. It's risky, as they could get overwhelmed in midfield.

84 mins to kick: PSG midfielder Vitinha has the immense privilege of playing with Lionel Messi at the club level and Cristiano Ronaldo at the international level. He was asked who he thinks is better, and he smartly avoided the topic, instead praising the two for their individual abilities.

120 minutes to kickoff: PSG took some flak after they published a video of their trip to Parc Olympique Lyonnais on Twitter — by plane. The trip is a two-hour train ride, prompting some to criticise the club for their contribution to the global climate crisis. The French minister of transport was one of the individuals to speak out.

This is not the first time PSG have been in the news for their travel habits. Just two weeks prior, manager Christophe Galtier joked that he was going to look into traveling by "sailboat" when prompted to answer for the club's luxurious travel routine. PSG, who are owned by Qatari royalty and are sponsored by Qatar Airways, make generous use of that sponsorship.

Eventually, the PSG tweet was deleted after receiving significant criticism.

Defender Jerome Boateng will miss out due to what Peter Bosz called a muscle issue, while goalkeeper Julian Pollersbeck is a long-term absence after undergoing knee surgery. Midfielder Houssem Aouar, who missed time to start the season with an ankle injury, did not make the cut for the matchday squad.

Although back pain kept second-string goalkeeper Keylor Navas out of the midweek Champions League match at Maccabi Haifa, he's recovered to be part of the group. But Renato Sanches (right groin) and Presnel Kimpembe (left thigh injury) will not be available.

How to watch Lyon vs. PSG

The match from Ligue 1 Matchweek 8 will take place at Lyon's home field Groupama Stadium at 20:45 local time. Here's how fans can watch it around the world:

UK: BT Sport will televise the Lyon-PSG showdown and stream it on the network's platforms.

USA: All Ligue 1 matches are carried by beIN Sports and televised matches are streamed on fuboTV.

Canada: beIN Sports carries Ligue 1 and the channel streams on fuboTV Canada.

Australia: Fans in Australia can watch Ligue 1 on beIN Sports (TV) and beIN Sports Connect (streaming).

MORE: Champions League standings and schedule for PSG

The temptation in this match would be to lean toward a potential upset result given how strong Lyon have been at home in league play, on top of the fact that the two teams tied 1-1 the last time they met at the Groupama Stadium. But that was a different Lyon team that had Lucas Paqueta (now with West Ham) and Bruno Guimaraes (with Newcastle). Plus, Messi and Neymar didn't feature for PSG in that one.

The odds project another PSG victory in a high-scoring match. No reason to be a contrarian here. This PSG team has a different feel about them, and they have seemingly been able to score at will. Galtier's men have been in other sticky situations in their first 10 matches — they were 1-0 down at Israeli champions Maccabi Haifa in midweek in the Champions League and still won 3-1 — and outside of the 1-1 draw with AS Monaco (they outshot Monaco 18-4), they generally manage to pull through thanks to their attacking trio.
• Pick: PSG win and both teams to score (+140 on Caesars)

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