PSG's Lionel Messi after scoring first Ligue 1 goal: "I expected to score"

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Lionel Messi - PSG - November 20, 2021

Lionel Messi says he was happy to get his first Ligue 1 goal for Paris Saint-Germain after the league leaders beat Nantes 3-1 on Matchday 14.

The Argentina star took a pass from Kylian Mbappe on the edge of the box and sent it into the net in the 87th minute as PSG's unbeaten run in the league stretched to five games.

Messi, 34, now has four goals to his name for the French giants, having in struck three times in the Champions League since his move from Barcelona.

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But the six-time Ballon d'Or winner was delighted to finally get off the mark domestically, having drawn a blank in his previous five matches in Ligue 1.

“I'm happy. We had a lot of chances, but their goalkeeper made some good saves. But we weren't afraid and we ended up winning," Messi told Amazon Prime.

"I am happy to score this first goal, at the Parc des Princes, in front of the fans. Even though I had already scored in the Champions League, I expected to score in the league."

PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino was thrilled to see his compatriot figure among the goal scorers, but expected his side to win by a wider margin despite seeing goalkeeper Keylor Navas sent off midway through the second half.

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"Yes, it was very important. We should have scored a lot more goals. But these kinds of matches are always open and when it is like that everything can happen," the coach said.

"The team showed their character once again [after Navas was sent off] and that was great. Time is important to bond between players and start to feel comfortable on the pitch."

Pochettino added that he is unsure if Sergio Ramos will be available to play against Manchester City in the Champions League in midweek.

"I don't know. His evolution is very important. One thing to be at the training, and quite another to be competitive," he said.

"He's in a good mood. But, please, don't overinterpret too much. We must not push too hard with him. It has to be done little by little."

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