Messi dealt huge blow as Arsenal loanee denies 10-man PSG with last-gasp goal
On-loan Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun kept his cool to score a stoppage-time equaliser for Reims against Paris Saint-Germain and deny Lionel Messi and co.
Neymar had put PSG in front, beating the offside trap and then finding the corner of Yehvann Diouf's net. It stayed that way until the sixth minute of stoppage time as the league leaders - who saw Marco Verratti sent off less than 15 minutes after coming on as a substitute - looked to cling on to their narrow lead.
Moments from the end, though, Balogun raced onto a through-ball from Kamory Doumbia before rounding Gianluigi Donnarumma and hitting the back of the net. The result left PSG just three points clear at the top, with Christophe Galtier's side winning only one of their four Ligue 1 games in January.
World Cup winner Messi returned to PSG training during the week after being rested for the 7-0 Coupe de France victory over Pays de Cassel. Kylian Mbappe scored five in that game, with Neymar also on target, and the pair joined the Argentina international in a daunting front three.
After a quiet first half, it was Neymar who broke the deadlock. Galtier's men had chances to extend their lead, with Sergio Ramos hitting the bar, Achraf Hakimi seeing an effort ruled out for offside and Messi testing opposition keeper Diouf.
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Both of those chances came with PSG a man down, with Verratti's wild challenge upgraded from yellow to red after a VAR check. And eventually Balogun - who had earlier been denied a penalty after an offside in the build-up - broke home hearts right at the death.
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On-loan Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun struck a stoppage-time equaliser against Paris Saint-Germain (AFP via Getty Images)PSG were unbeaten before the World Cup but began 2023 with a defeat at title rivals Lens, and also fell to Rennes on January 15. Aside from two wins in the cup, their only victory came at home to Angers when Messi and Hugo Ekitike were on target.
Ekitike's move from Reims to PSG prompted Balogun's move to Stade Auguste-Delaune, and the goal at the Parc des Princes was his 11th of the season. Reims remain unbeaten since manager Will Still took over in October, and are now in mid-table after winning just one of their first 11 games to bring relegation concerns.
“Before I moved, Mikel just wanted me to develop as a man," England under-21 striker Balogun said after completing the switch. "It was kind of like an open answer and it was for me to interpret what he meant by ‘develop as a man’.
“By moving abroad, I’m starting to learn what he meant by that. It doesn’t just mean on the pitch but also off the pitch. I think by the time I go back, I’ll be in a better place to compete than I was before I left.”
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