Kylian Mbappe became Paris Saint-Germain's joint-record scorer and Lionel Messi hit the 700th goal of his senior club career as the Ligue 1 leaders thrashed rivals Marseille 3-0 on Sunday.

Mbappe and Messi exchanged assists as the visitors stormed into a 2-0 half-time lead, with the Argentine's tap-in taking him to 700 goals in senior football for Barcelona and PSG.

The duo saved the best for after the break, however, with Mbappe volleying Messi's dinked pass home to join Edinson Cavani on 200 PSG goals on a memorable night for Christophe Galtier's men. 

The result took PSG eight points clear of Marseille at the Ligue 1 summit, easing the pressure which had begun to build on Galtier following their underwhelming start to 2023.

PSG suffered an early setback when a tearful Presnel Kimpembe was carried off injured, but they hit the front 25 minutes in as Messi found space to send Mbappe through on goal, with the striker applying an unerring finish.

Mbappe repaid the favour four minutes later, combining with Nuno Mendes on the break before teeing Messi up for a tap-in with a pinpoint low cross.

Messi should have had a second when he somehow blazed over from just six yards out, before Marquinhos fired narrowly wide of the bottom-left corner after beating the hosts' offside trap.

Mbappe nodded Vitinha's cross narrowly wide of the left-hand post six minutes after the restart, but the France star had his landmark goal four minutes later. 

A flowing move ended with Messi scooping a wonderful ball into the path of Mbappe, who lashed a left-footed volley beyond Pau Lopez to effectively end the contest.

Alexis Sanchez and Marseille's Vitinha went close to pulling one back, but Gianluigi Donnarumma denied both with sharp saves to preserve PSG's clean sheet. 

Liverpool reportedly view Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch and Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham as their ideal central midfield pairing of the future.

Liverpool's interest in 19-year-old Bellingham has been well-documented, and they are believed to be one of the front-runners to secure his services, along with Real Madrid.

Gravenberch, 20, arrived at Bayern prior to the season from Ajax for an €18.5million fee, but he has made only one start this Bundesliga campaign, along with 12 appearances as a substitute.

Liverpool are due for a midfield overhaul this off-season with 33-year-old Jordan Henderson and 32-year-old Thiago reaching their primes, and the club appear to be preparing for an injection of youth.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL ENVISION GRAVENBERCH AS KEY COG OF FUTURE MIDFIELD

According to Sport 1, Liverpool are "closely following" Gravenberch's situation in Munich, and have begun gathering background information about the young Netherlands international.

The report claims that Bayern are not looking to ship him off after just one season, but Gravenberch himself may indicate he wants out if his playing time situation does not start trending in the right direction.

With his contract tying him to the Bundesliga side until 2027, Gravenberch has no leverage to force his way to the Premier League, but that will not stop Liverpool from dreaming about potentially moving forward with Gravenberch, Bellingham and breakout talent Stefan Bajcetic all aged under 21.

ROUND-UP

– Planeta Real Madrid is reporting Paris Saint-Germain will look to secure Vinicius Junior if Kylian Mbappe leaves for the Spanish capital.

– According to The Mirror, Sergio Aguero claims Lionel Messi is strongly considering a move back to childhood club Newell's Old Boys.

– Atletico Madrid loanee Joao Felix would like to make his move to Chelsea permanent, per Fichajes.

– Marca is reporting Cristiano Ronaldo's team Al Nassr have been sounding out Sergio Ramos' interest in a move to Saudi Arabia.

– According to Fabrizio Romano, after rejecting an advance from Newcastle United, Flamengo have handed 18-year-old midfielder Matheus Franca a new contract that includes a €200m release clause.

Paris Saint-Germain cannot count on just Kylian Mbappe to get over their below-par form, according to head coach Christophe Galtier.

PSG have lost three of their last four matches in all competitions, with a one-goal deficit to overcome in their Champions League round-of-16 tie with Bayern Munich and their hopes of winning a 15th Coupe de France this season over.

A dramatic 4-3 victory over Lille in Ligue 1 last weekend halted a run of three straight defeats, but PSG's lead at the summit could be cut to just two points should they lose to Marseille in Sunday's derby.

Marseille came out on top against Galtier's side in the Coupe de France last 16 earlier this month, and the PSG boss says it cannot come down solely to key man Mbappe if they are to defeat their closest title challengers and get back to top form.

"Everyone is concerned," Galtier told reporters at his pre-match news conference. "We think that players move on from a defeat in five minutes, but that's not true.

"We will have to win duels to get out of the Marseille pressure. We will have to have more runs in behind, which we lacked during the Coupe de France match. With Kylian, there will be.

"But it's not just him who should help us. He is capable of making a difference, but other players will have to project themselves more freely and with more determination to beat Marseille."

Marseille head coach Igor Tudor stated on Friday that PSG's quality means they are favourites in all of their fixtures, but Galtier disagreed, instead expressing a belief that his team must show improvement over recent form if they are to come out on top on Sunday.

"I cannot say that Marseille are favourites," Galtier explained. "Neither are we. 

"For this status as favourites, a different dynamic would have been needed. But the end of the match against Bayern and against Lille gives us a lot of hope.

"We will have to have a very high level of play on a regular basis to beat Marseille, who are in good form and who will be pushed by their fans. We will have to be better than what we have shown in recent weeks."

PSG's poor recent form has reportedly put Galtier under pressure, with former coach Thomas Tuchel linked as a potential replacement should the former Nice boss suffer the same fate as Mauricio Pochettino.

Despite the importance of Sunday's fixture in the title race and the opportunity for PSG to avenge their cup defeat, Galtier does not feel it will be a defining game in his team's season.

"There is no revenge," Galtier added. "There is a lot of pride in this team, obviously that will be important for Sunday evening.

"It's an important match. They are two teams that are very close in terms of the championship with very few points apart.

"Is this decisive for the title? I don't think so."

Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Raphael Varane were among those to pay tribute to Sergio Ramos following his retirement from international football.

The veteran defender, a World Cup winner and Spain's most-capped men's player, called time on his La Roja career on Thursday.

Ramos' decision came after new head coach Luis de la Fuente informed him he would not be part of his plans, after his absence at both Euro 2020 and Qatar 2022.

The news sparked an outpouring of support from team-mates past and present, with several taking to social media to congratulate him on a storied international career.

PSG forward Mbappe and Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos both called him: "The best."

Manchester United defender Varane, who played with Ramos at the Santiago Bernabeu, referred to him as a "legend", while current Los Blancos forward Vinicius Junior posted a crown emoji.

Neymar, another PSG team-mate, offered a trio of applause icons while Achraf Hakimi, whose Morocco side ended Spain's run at Qatar 2022, said: "Respect to you."

Ramos, who also won a pair of European Championships in 2008 and 2012 either side of his World Cup triumph at South Africa 2010, won 180 caps for Spain.

He made his international debut in 2005, in a friendly victory over China, and would go on to score 23 goals, ranking him ninth on the country's all-time scorer list.

After last featuring as a substitute against Kosovo in 2021, Ramos was subsequently overlooked by former head coach Luis Enrique for Euro 2020 and Qatar 2022.

If Kylian Mbappe joins Real Madrid, he must do so with his head down, according to former Los Blancos midfielder Guti.

The Paris Saint-Germain star has been perennially linked with a move to Santiago Bernabeu, but sensationally snubbed Madrid last year when he agreed to a new deal in the French capital.

Reports continue to suggest a transfer in the next couple of years is still a possibility, despite Madrid supposedly being angered by Mbappe's decision that prevented them from being able to sign him on a free transfer at the end of last season.

Speaking on El Chiringuito, Guti said: "Mbappe must come to Real Madrid with his head down and be like one of the others in the dressing room. 

"If this is not the case, he is mistaken and does not know which club he is representing. 

"It is reality. [Luis] Figo came, Ronaldo came...

"I don't know what his reality is in Paris and how it goes in the PSG locker room. 

"He might be the best player in the world who would be signed, but Real Madrid are much more than that."

The 24-year-old has scored 27 goals in 28 games for PSG this season and recently became the youngest player to score 150 goals in Ligue 1 by two years.

Josko Gvardiol is hot property around Europe and he boosted his stocks with the equaliser in RB Leipzig's 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old centre-back is contracted with Leipzig until 2027, although he reportedly has an exit clause in his deal, worth €110 million.

Leipzig head coach Marco Rose was adamant after Wednesday's game that Gvardiol will remain with the club next season.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL KEEN ON LEIPZIG STAR GVARDIOL

Liverpool will look to bolster their defensive options with a move for Gvardiol, claims Fabrizio Romano.

The Croatia international has been targetted by Chelsea and he only enhanced his reputation during the 2022 World Cup. He has also been linked with City and Real Madrid.

Gvardiol has previously indicated he would be love to join the Reds, potentially offering Jurgen Klopp's side an edge in the race to sign him. 

ROUND-UP

– Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are all keeping tabs on Kylian Mbappe's situation at Paris Saint-Germain, claims Football Insider. Speculation continues to swirl that Mbappe, who is contracted through the end of the 2024-25 season, is unhappy at PSG.

– Chelsea are interested in a move for Dinamo Moscow 19-year-old midfielder Arsen Zakharyan, according to CaughtOffside.

– Fichajes say Juventus are considering a move to sign Real Betis forward Borja Iglesias amid worries Dusan Vlahovic could depart at the end of the season.

– Napoli will challenge PSG in the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt forward Randal Kolo Muani, reports CalcioMercato.

– Manchester United are plotting a double swoop for Leicester City midfield duo James Maddison and Youri Tielemans, according to Football Transfers.

– Raphael Guerreiro is set to exit Borussia Dortmund at the end of this season as a free agent, reports Nicolo Schira.

Christophe Galtier claims Paris Saint-Germain's intense fixture schedule played a part in Neymar's latest injury.

Neymar was taken from the field on a stretcher early in the second half of PSG's scintillating Ligue 1 clash with Lille on Sunday, which Galtier's team won 4-3 thanks to Lionel Messi's stunning late free-kick.

Brazilian forward Neymar appeared to go over on his right ankle while challenging Benjamin Andre, and Galtier said the early diagnosis was a sprain.

That could make Neymar a doubt to feature for PSG in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich on March 8.

Asked if bad luck was responsible for the 31-year-old's issue, Galtier told reporters: "No, it's not bad luck.

"There are always reasons for injuries: the schedule, the sequence of games. There is no chance [it is just luck].

"Of course it complicates things and that's the way it is. We have to keep our heads down. We're going to do it again, but with a victory. That's more pleasant."

Neymar has played nine times since PSG's season restarted after the World Cup, in which he also suffered an ankle injury.

The 31-year-old played the whole 90 minutes in Tuesday's 1-0 defeat to Bayern, and in the league loss at Monaco three days earlier.

"[Neymar] is being examined," explained Galtier, who also had to take Nuno Mendes off due to an injury. "He went quickly to have tests to know the severity of his sprain.

"Nuno Mendes stretched his medial collateral ligament a little bit, but it really doesn't look serious at all."

Galtier said ahead of the game that he had spoken with Neymar after the forward was pictured in a McDonald's during a midweek night out in Paris.

Neymar set up Kylian Mbappe's opener at the Parc des Princes and then made it 2-0 to PSG in the 17th minute, but Lille hauled themselves level through Bafode Diakite and Jonathan David's controversially awarded penalty.

Jonathan Bamba completed the turnaround for Lille, who boasted a better expected goals (xG) total than their hosts (2.5 to 2.3), but Mbappe equalised before Messi curled in a wonderful free-kick in the fifth minute of added time.

"The difference on this game? It's very easy. The difference was Messi, it was Mbappe," said Lille coach Paulo Fonseca.

"That's the difference, because I think the whole game we dominated.

"We created a few chances, we played our game, and I think we deserved another result. But that's how it is, that's football. But I think the difference was Messi and Mbappe."

Kylian Mbappe insisted he was not making a comment against Neymar when he referred to his Paris Saint-Germain club-mates having to "eat well and sleep well".

Mbappe was one of PSG's heroes on Sunday as they snatched a 4-3 victory over Lille in a thrilling Ligue 1 encounter.

Neymar teed up Mbappe's opener and himself made it 2-0 to the hosts at Parc des Princes inside 17 minutes, only for the Brazil forward to go off with an apparently serious ankle injury early in the second half as Lille restored parity and then took the lead through Jonathan Bamba's superb strike.

Yet Mbappe dragged PSG level, setting the stage for Lionel Messi to win it with a sublime free-kick deep into stoppage time, ending a three-match losing streak for PSG, who trail 1-0 in their Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich.

Mbappe urged his team-mates to take care of their fitness and energy levels ahead of the second leg on March 8, but a day later Neymar was pictured in a McDonald's branch on a night out in Paris.

Christophe Galtier revealed in the build-up to Sunday's match that he had discussed the matter with Neymar, but Mbappe was adamant his comments were not meant as a slant against his fellow superstar forward.

"I saw that people were talking about Ney, about what happened," Mbappe told Amazon Prime Sport. "It was not a [comment] against Neymar.

"In the context, we need everything except a fight. It's really advice for everyone.

"Because, as I said, when you have everyone, we saw it at the start of the match, when everyone is there, the teams have to worry.

"I hope Ney will come back soon because he is an important player for us."

The sight of Neymar being taken off on a stretcher was not promising for PSG, and Galtier said: "It's probably a sprained ankle, we will see the seriousness. He is being examined."

PSG's prospects looked bleak until Mbappe and Messi stepped up late on to ease what could have been mounting scrutiny on Galtier's position.

"The term is relief. It's the emotional lift," Galtier added.

"The match was very important for everyone, for the players, for me. We knew that a victory was mandatory to reset the dynamic.

"A coach who loses four games in a row, even more at PSG, is obviously in difficulty; there may be a lot of doubt around. What I can tell you is that I have the permanent support of my sports management and my president. It is very important."

Lionel Messi scored a stoppage-time free-kick as he and Kylian Mbappe came to Paris Saint-Germain's rescue in a pulsating 4-3 victory over Lille.

PSG's prospects looked bleak when Jonathan Bamba's stunner put Lille 3-2 up after Neymar had gone off on a stretcher with an ankle injury.

The Ligue 1 champions had seemed in control after 17 minutes of Sunday's clash at Parc des Princes thanks to Mbappe and Neymar, only for Lille to deservedly haul themselves level through Bafode Diakite's header and Jonathan David's contentiously awarded penalty.

Yet Mbappe, who prodded home in the 87th minute to restore parity, paved the way for Messi to curl in a wonderful free-kick off the right-hand upright deep into the seven minutes of added time.

Angel Di Maria has revealed his surprise at former club Paris Saint-Germain's decision to seemingly overlook Lionel Messi and give Kylian Mbappe "all the power".

Mbappe looked destined to join Real Madrid on a lucrative free transfer ahead of the 2022-23 season, yet he decided to sign a new three-year deal to remain in the French capital.

It has been suggested the 24-year-old's contract allows him influence over the club's signings and team selections.

Di Maria, who played with Mbappe and Messi at PSG before his move to Juventus in July, understands Mbappe's profile in France, but believes his influence overshadows that of Messi. 

"I think France in general have given Mbappe a lot of responsibility," he told ESPN Argentina. "The people, the president [Emmanuel Macron], and PSG.

"They made him stay when he could have left and gave him all the power to him and no one else. But there's a big difference, they gave him all that power with the best in history [Messi] next to him.

"I think they gave him all that power and strength because he's French, he was born there, won a World Cup and has an extraordinary career ahead of him.

"But all that aside, when I was at PSG he was a good boy and I don't think he's changed so much."

Mbappe, who has scored 13 goals in 19 Ligue 1 appearances this season, is likely to line up alongside Messi when PSG host Lille in the league on Sunday.

Christophe Galtier accused a reporter of "lacking a little respect" when asking about Paris Saint-Germain's tactics as the under-pressure coach bids to get his team's season back on track.

Three defeats have left PSG bruised, with a Coupe de France exit at Marseille's hands followed by a Ligue 1 defeat at Monaco and a Champions League last-16 first-leg loss to Bayern Munich.

Ahead of a home game on Sunday against his former club Lille, Galtier was asked about the low block he deployed initially against Bayern on Tuesday.

Hampered by injuries, Galtier resorted to a defensive tactic he felt would give PSG a chance of resisting the German champions until he could introduce Kylian Mbappe – back from an injury break – off the bench and open up the game.

Galtier appeared to be in the process of being asked whether he would use the same system against Lille, a team who, like Bayern, play in an open, attacking manner.

"Are you making fun of me by asking this question?" Galtier said, interrupting the reporter.

"Do you think I was satisfied with what I saw against Bayern? No, I was not satisfied.

"My players didn't do well. We had a game plan that was adapted to the players available. Do you think that starting Warren Zaire-Emery in such an important Champions League game under the age of 17 is something I had been working towards?

"The circumstances dictated that, and I didn't have other options. We wanted to contain Bayern Munich, to then move into the second phase by bringing Kylian on.

"When Kylian came on, it created more openings for Bayern, but also for us. It was a different game.

"I respect your question, but if you think that I enjoyed watching my team play that way for 60 minutes, it's because – with a lot of respect – you are lacking a little respect."

Jumping back in, the reporter suggested Galtier had given an answer that was not in line with the question being asked.

He was stopped in his tracks again as Galtier cut in, saying: "PSG have to play attacking, attractive football. It doesn't have to be spectacular, but it has to be effective to win. If the players can put on a spectacle and entertain the fans, of course we will do that."

Galtier is in his first season with PSG, having taken over from Mauricio Pochettino who led the Parisians to the French league title in 2021-22 but oversaw exits from the Coupe de France and Champions League at the last-16 stage.

If PSG fail to overturn their deficit against Bayern, they risk exactly the same outcome this season, providing they make sure of the Ligue 1 trophy.

Domestic league success was not enough for Pochettino to be retained and the same may apply for Galtier, who on taking the PSG job said it was one that comes with "more pressure than anywhere else".

Christophe Galtier has held talks with Neymar after a photograph emerged of the Paris Saint-Germain forward in a fast-food outlet – the day after Kylian Mbappe implored team-mates to eat healthily.

PSG head coach Galtier noted Neymar played in a poker tournament on Wednesday and visited a McDonald's branch with friends.

It came at a point when PSG's season has reached crisis point, with three damaging defeats in succession putting Galtier under pressure.

There was criticism of Neymar on social media when a picture of his trip out emerged. It appeared a day after a 1-0 home defeat to Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, a result that followed a Coupe de France loss to Marseille and a Ligue 1 setback at Monaco.

Notably, it followed Mbappe telling team-mates "everyone has to eat well and sleep well" to be in prime shape for the March 8 second leg in Munich.

Galtier explained how Mbappe's message in a television interview was the same instruction he had delivered in the Parc des Princes dressing room.

"He spoke with real maturity and determination so that everybody stayed focused, and I am pleased that he said that," Galtier said.

"I am not going to make connections between Kylian's words in the dressing room with a photo of Neymar in a fast-food restaurant.

"I have spoken to Ney. I told him what I thought. Neymar has the right on his day off, his recovery day. He likes playing poker, and he has the right to play poker. I told him what I thought about the photo, and that will stay between him and me.

"But I don't think there is any need to make a connection between what Kylian Mbappe said and the photo."

Mbappe was only a substitute against Bayern as he returned from an injury lay-off. He came off the bench and twice had the ball in the net, but offside judgements denied the hosts an equaliser.

PSG play Lille in Ligue 1 on Sunday, and Galtier indicated Mbappe will be in the starting line-up.

"We need to win this weekend," Galtier said. "We have a better chance of winning if Kylian Mbappe is playing than without him, so he will play."

Kylian Mbappe insisted it would not be considered a comeback if Paris Saint-Germain overturn their first-leg deficit against Bayern Munich in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Former PSG forward Kingsley Coman scored the only goal of the game as the champions of Germany defeated the champions of France 1-0 at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday.

It means Christian Galtier's men have plenty of work to do to avoid another premature Champions League exit, but France forward Mbappe is sure PSG can get the job done in Munich.

"As we said, we said we had to take the positives. It's a two-legged tie. We can't change what happened in the first leg," Mbappe said in quotes reported by PSG's official website.

"We will go there to qualify. We know that there is a possibility. There is always a good possibility to qualify. So we will go there with a lot of energy and determination.

"It's not a comeback. There's no longer the away goal. We have to score a goal and we'll be level, so we have to go there and win. 

"Play our game, play attacking football, which we know how to do and try to go there and win."

Mbappe had initially been ruled out of the first leg with a hamstring injury sustained against Montpellier on February 1.

Galtier named Mbappe among the substitutes and he entered the fray shortly before the hour, with the man himself admitting he was not supposed to play.

"I wasn't supposed to play but I wanted to play and help my team-mates," he added.

"We did everything, we worked night and day to get me some game time.

"I wanted to [start the game]. But sometimes you have to be satisfied with what you can do, and that's all I could do.

"My feeling? I was a bit concerned, but I gave everything I had and I have nothing left. Now we have to continue and recover well. 

"Like I said, get everyone back healthy and all come back at 100 per cent, and I'm sure it can go well."

Christophe Galtier bemoaned the timing of Paris Saint-Germain conceding before Kylian Mbappe's planned introduction, but still has hope in the Champions League.

Kingsley Coman scored the only goal of the game in the 53rd minute at the Parc des Princes, four minutes before Mbappe – returning from injury – was brought on in the last-16 clash.

The France international remained a doubt before kick-off but spurred a struggling PSG into life after his substitution, twice seeing goals ruled out for offside in the first leg on Tuesday.

While the Ligue 1 champions will head to the Allianz Arena on March 8 with a slender 1-0 deficit, Galtier reminded PSG it will be all to play for in Germany.

The PSG coach told Canal Plus: "We managed to push them over 25-30 minutes. There is the offside goals, two or three situations.

"There is obviously a disappointment, but we know that there is not a qualified team or a team eliminated tonight.

"We will have to see in three weeks the state of our team, if we will have recovered fitness and have players to play a full match at the level of our last half hour."

A late rallying performance from Mbappe and Co. will offer Galtier reason for optimism, especially given PSG overcame Bayern in the two-legged Champions League affair in the 2020-21 term.

PSG downed then-defending champions Bayern on away goals in the quarter-finals, with a 3-2 away victory enough to stave off the Bundesliga side's 1-0 win in the return meeting.

Mbappe scored twice in the first-leg victory in that season and Galtier labelled it as unfortunate PSG's planned introduction of the forward came just before Coman's strike against his former side this time.

"From the moment we didn't have depth in our game, Bayern advanced and put pressure on us and we had trouble getting the ball out, holding it very high," Galtier added. 

"We had a very difficult first half. There was another scenario planned because I knew that I was going to be able to use Kylian.

"Unfortunately, we conceded this goal just when the changes were going to take place with a new organisation.

"There were 25 minutes where the team reacted but in a system that corresponds more to our qualities."

Kylian Mbappe was desperate to help Paris Saint-Germain as he returned from injury against Bayern Munich, and remains confident of their progress in the Champions League.

Mbappe had been a doubt for Tuesday's last-16 first leg between PSG and Bayern at the Parc des Princes.

However, the World Cup Golden Boot-winning forward was named on the bench and appeared in the second half, introduced shortly after Kingsley Coman had scored the opening goal.

That would prove the decisive strike in a 1-0 Bayern win as Mbappe twice had the ball in the net but was twice denied by offside calls.

Although PSG have now lost three matches in a row in all competitions within a single season for the first time since 2011-12, the late rally that included Mbappe's disallowed goals provided cause for optimism ahead of the return match in Munich next month.

"We have to remember the end," Mbappe told Canal+. "We have a disadvantage, but we have seen that we are able to put them in difficulty. We're going to go there to qualify.

"It was unpredictable, I wasn't supposed to play, but I wanted to help my friends. We worked day and night.

"All our players have to be healthy for the return leg, everyone has to eat well and sleep well. When you have our team and you play attacking football, they are not comfortable."

Mbappe was clearly offside the first time he netted, but it was a marginal decision against Nuno Mendes that saw the second struck off.

"It's the new football, it's VAR," Mbappe added. "If it was offside, it's like that.

"From what I've seen, there's room [to be optimistic] for the return leg."

Mbappe should be available from the start for the second leg on March 8, and Bayern defender Matthijs de Ligt told BT Sport: "You saw in the last 30 minutes. When he [Mbappe] comes in, it's a different team.

"We have to be really concentrated in the second leg."