Lionel Messi scores his first PSG goal in Champions League win over Manchester City

Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi has ended his mini goal drought at PSG as he scored on Tuesday night in a 2-0 victory over Manchester City in the Champions League group phase. PSG midfielder Idrissa Gueye gave PSG an early lead in the 8th minute, with Raheem Sterling and Bernado Silva coming close to equalizing for PSG as they hit the bar in succession. Messi's sublime goal from the edge of the box however cemented victory for the French. 

Football pundit and former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand reacted on BT Sport as Messi took up a position on the floor behind a defensive wall to prevent Manchester City from surprising PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma with a low shot as City took a late free kick. He said:

“No, no, no, no. You can’t.

“It’s disrespectful, I wouldn’t have it.

“If I was in that team, I’d have to say, ‘Listen, I’ll lay down for you.’

“Sorry, I couldn’t have him laying down like that. I can’t see it.

“He don’t get his kit dirty, that’s not what Messi does.”

PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino was hugely impressed by Messi's goal. “Usually I don’t celebrate goals, but today I did,” he said.

“I’ve spent 20 years watching him score goals from the other side of the opposite pavement and it’s the first time he scores for a team I manage so I had to celebrate.”

Pep Guardiola who coached Messi in Barcelona and won 14 trophies with him called Messi "unstoppable" after the game.

"We dealt with PSG first of all, but we know it's impossible to control Leo for 90 minutes," Guardiola said.

"He was not much in touch with the ball -- of course, he was coming back from injury, he needed a bit of rhythm -- but we know quite well when he can run and get close to the ball, he is unstoppable.

"What we have done is minimize, as much as possible, these kind of options and create the chances that we could create and I'm satisfied with the way we played.

"People can't deny that we were there. We arrived here, we did our game, but it's always a risk when you lose the ball and they can make one pass, especially with (Marco) Verratti -- an exceptional, extraordinary player -- and make contact with Neymar and Messi and they can run, it's difficult."

With his goal on Tuesday, Messi became the second player to score in 17 consecutive Champions League seasons, after Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema.