It was quite the performance on Sunday from Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, who combined for all three goals as Paris Saint-Germain won 3-0 at Marseille in Ligue 1.

In the absence of the injured Neymar and with PSG trying to get back on track after a recent run of three consecutive defeats before a 4-3 win against Lille last week, the star duo took it upon themselves to rip apart Marseille.

As well as both achieving personal landmarks on Sunday – Mbappe scoring his 200th PSG goal and Messi scoring his 700th career goal – they also improved their already impressive record as a pair in the league this season.

The two standout players from December's exciting World Cup final between France and Argentina have proven there is no ill will from Qatar as they continue to lay chances on a plate for the other.

Mbappe and Messi have combined for 10 goals in Ligue 1, three more than any other two players in Europe's top-five leagues this season.

In fact, the second-most productive combination in France's top-flight also involves Messi, who has combined with Neymar for six goals, while Lille pair Jonathan David and Remy Cabella have five.

It is perhaps no surprise with Napoli seemingly strolling to the Scudetto in Italy that Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen sit in second place in Europe with seven goals, but it may raise eyebrows to learn that they are joined on the same amount by another Serie A duo of Roma's Paulo Dybala and Tammy Abraham.

Lazio's Ciro Immobile and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic are the third-most efficient in Italy after providing one another with a total of five goals.

In the Premier League, it did not take a fortune-teller to predict that Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland would work well together when Manchester City signed the Norwegian striker from Borussia Dortmund last year, and they lead the way in England with six combinations so far, ahead of Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, as well as Jack Harrison and Rodrigo Moreno at Leeds United (both five).

There are also three pairings in Europe's top 12 from the Bundesliga, though interestingly, none from Bayern Munich or Dortmund.

Borussia Monchengladbach's Alassane Plea and Marcus Thuram and Bayer Leverkusen duo Jeremie Frimpong and Moussa Diaby have both combined for six goals, while surprise title contenders Union Berlin have been boosted by Jordan Siebatcheu and Sheraldo Becker producing five goals for one another.

Spain's LaLiga has not been quite as filled with potent partnerships, with three pairings tied on four goals each.

They include Ousmane Dembele and Robert Lewandowski of Barcelona, who have shone together at Camp Nou since the latter arrived from Bayern, while Atletico Madrid's Alvaro Morata and Antoine Griezmann have also managed four, as have Brais Mendez and Mikel Merino of Real Sociedad.

None can compare to the efficacy of Mbappe and Messi though, and while two of the world's best players continue to link up at the Parc des Princes, expect more and more magic moments from them.

Speculation about Mohamed Salah's future at Liverpool has re-ignited amid the Reds underwhelming campaign.

Liverpool appear destined for a last-16 Champions League exit after losing the first leg 5-2 at home to Real Madrid, while they are down in seventh in the Premier League.

The Reds are nine points outside the top-four league spots to earn Champions League qualification for next term.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL WILLING TO OFFLOAD SALAH

Mohamed Salah is willing to leave Liverpool if they fail to qualify for next season's Champions League while the Reds are open to selling him, claims Fichajes.

Football Insider claims Paris Saint-Germain are keen on the Egyptian, who is contracted with Liverpool until mid-2025, and will bid €80 million (£70.6m) for his services.

Liverpool may be open to offers for Salah given their wealth of forward options as Jurgen Klopp looks to revamp his squad, with their intended pursuit of Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, who is expected to cost more than €110m (£97m).

ROUND-UP

– Inter forward Lautaro Martinez is garnering interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, reports TEAMtalk. The 25-year-old Argentinian is contracted until mid-2026.

– Like Arsenal, Manchester United are weighing up a move for Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga, claims AS. The 20-year-old is believed to be priced around £26m (€30m).

– Fabrizio Romano reports Liverpool's Naby Keita may join Barcelona as a free agent at the end of this season, although he clarified "nothing is serious yet".

– Napoli will rival Liverpool in the race to sign Empoli's 19-year-old attacking midfielder Tommaso Baldanzi, claims Calciomercato.

– RMC Sport reports Paris Saint-Germain will not axe head coach Christophe Galtier before the end of the season, following reports of a move for Thomas Tuchel to replace him.

– Liverpool are considering a swap deal for Milan's Rafael Leao involving Luis Diaz, while PSG are in the race for the Portuguese's signature, according to Calciomercato.

Christophe Galtier hailed Kylian Mbappe for his "magnificent" feat of becoming Paris Saint-Germain's joint-record goalscorer in Sunday's dominant 3-0 win at Marseille.

Mbappe scored a terrific volley to match Edinson Cavani's tally of 200 goals for PSG as the Ligue 1 leaders went eight points clear of their old rivals with a crushing win at the Stade Velodrome.

Mbappe and fellow attacking star Lionel Messi had earlier put PSG in command by exchanging assists before the break, and they have now combined for 10 goals in Ligue 1 this term – more than any other duo.

Speaking to Amazon Prime Video after the win, Galtier said: "Mbappe is a player who has a sense of movement, who obviously goes very fast, he is technically fast too. 

"He not only has the legs but an exceptional speed of execution. These are players of stats and records, he equalled this magnificent record of Cavani, and it is obvious that he will beat it. 

"His presence is important to the team, it gives us other options in the game, especially with our depth and his presence in front of goal."

PSG's win was marred, however, by a serious injury suffered by defender Presnel Kimpembe – who went down under no contact 15 minutes in and was promptly carried from the field in tears.

"Kimpembe has unfortunately suffered a serious injury and will be out until the end of the season," Galtier confirmed. "He has very bad pain in his Achilles tendon, we think it's serious."

Galtier was facing severe pressure ahead of Sunday's fixture, with PSG seemingly facing a fight to retain their domestic title and needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit in their Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich.

The sight of football advisor Luis Campos taking his place in the PSG dugout to bellow instructions during last week's dramatic 4-3 win over Lille suggested all was not well at the Parc des Princes, but Galtier insists he enjoys a strong relationship with the club's hierarchy. 

"I have a direct relationship with my sports management, with Luis Campos and my president, who have always been present to support me because it is obviously a difficult period," he said.

"The victory at the end of the match against Lille was important, it denoted a state of mind, the desire of the players to go after this victory until the end. Tonight, this team soothed the heart."

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. 

Marcus Thuram will leave Borussia Moenchengladbach at the end of this season when his contract expires.

As a result, the 25-year-old French forward is garnering plenty of interest from top European clubs.

Thuram has scored 14 goals in all competitions this season for Gladbach, having been part of France's 2022 World Cup squad.

TOP STORY – THURAM OFFERED TO BARCELONA

Marcus Thuram's agent has offered the French forward to Barcelona as an off-season signing, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Thuram has interest from Chelsea, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid and Inter.

Barcelona's economic challenges mean they have prioritised signing players on free transfers in recent times with Thuram offering that plus flexibility in attack.

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– Fichajes claims Cristiano Ronaldo wants Sergio Ramos to join him at Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, with the defender's contract with PSG to expire at the end of this season. Ramos will leave it late to make a decision, holding out hope for a PSG extension.

– Liverpool will battle Bayern Munich in the off-season for the signature of Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, reports Calciomercatoweb.

– Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea are all interested in Inter's Marcelo Brozovic, with the Serie A club open to selling him, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

– Manchester United are weighing up a move for Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong, reports Football Insider. Fabrizio Romano claims numerous top clubs are interested in the Dutch defender.

– La Gazzetta dello Sport claims Liverpool are tracking Inter's Nicolo Barella as they look to bolster their midfield options.

– West Ham, Fulham, Crystal Palace and Brentford are all circling for Milan forward Olivier Giroud,  who is open to a return to England, claims The Sun.

Carlo Ancelotti said the "issue of age is the same for veterans as it is for youth" in expressing empathy for Sergio Ramos following his international retirement from Spain.

The veteran defender announced he was calling it a day from international football earlier this week after a hugely decorated Spain career, saying head coach Luis de la Fuente had left him no choice.

Ramos racked up 180 appearances for La Roja - making him their most-capped player - while he played a vital role as they lifted the European Championship trophy in 2008 and 2012 either side of becoming world champions in South Africa in 2010.

But the Paris Saint-Germain centre-half, who turns 37 next month, last played for Spain in March 2021 and was left out of Luis Enrique's squad for Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup.

Although Luis Enrique's replacement De la Fuente initially said the door was open for Ramos to potentially return to the team, the defender indicated the new head coach had changed his stance when announcing his decision to call it quits.

Real Madrid boss Ancelotti, who coached Ramos during his first spell with Los Blancos between 2013 and 2015, said he can understand the frustration.

The veteran coach also highlighted notable examples to demonstrate that age is not important when determining a player's impact.

"The issue of age is the same for veterans as it is for youth," he said. "If a player complies, he does not have to look at the passport.

"If at 17 he deserves to play, let him do it. He doesn't have to play if he doesn't deserve it or if he's not better than another, the same with a 37-year-old player.

"A coach has to evaluate what happens on the field every day, in each training [session], if the player is well and can meet, no matter the age. Through thick and thin, it never has to be something to make a decision, in my opinion.

"Sometimes, they tell me I don't use the academy and forget that I put [Gianluigi] Buffon in at the age of 17 at the beginning of my career. It was because he was very good, better than others.

"The Champions League has been won by a 39-year-old player like [Paolo] Maldini, who trained once a week and played because he was better than others, period. If you are better than others, you have to play." 

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."

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.

Thomas Tuchel has been out of a job since being sacked by Chelsea in September but could be on the brink of a return to action. 

The German has previously led top European clubs Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and the Blues, whom he took to the 2020-21 Champions League title.

The 49-year-old has been linked with numerous vacant posts in recent months but reportedly turned down two Premier League offers.

TOP STORY – PSG WILLING TO ADMIT TUCHEL ERROR

PSG have grown frustrated with head coach Christophe Galtier and are ready to move to re-appoint Thomas Tuchel, claims the Evening Standard.

The club sacked Tuchel in December 2020 after two and a half years in charge with the best win percentage in Ligue 1 history.

But PSG are reportedly willing to admit their mistake in letting him go as they try to convince Tuchel to return following their recent run of three straight defeats, which was ended by Sunday's 4-3 win over Lille.

The report claims Tuchel would need assurances from the club, but it is the type of role he has been waiting for, joining a top side competing for major trophies.

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– Real Madrid winger Marco Asensio is being monitored by Tottenham, according to Football Insider. Spurs will need to compete with Arsenal and Manchester United for the 27-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of this season.

– Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are all circling for Borussia Monchengladbach's Marcus Thuram, reports Talksport. The Athletic claims Thuram will exit Gladbach in the off-season as a free agent, with Bayern Munich also interested.

– Relevo reports Bayern are weighing up a move for Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos, with head coach Julian Nagelsmann an admirer, although no contact has been made yet.

– ESPN claims Manchester United and teenage sensation Alejandro Garnacho have agreed in principle to a new five-year contract, warding off interest.

– Manchester United will need to fork out €80million (£71m) to land Tammy Abraham from Roma, reports Calciomercatoweb.

– Juventus will move for Real Madrid winger Brahim Diaz after this season, claims Calciomercatoweb. Diaz is currently on loan at Milan, but the Rossoneri will not trigger their option to buy him.

Angel Di Maria's time in Europe may be winding down, with his Juventus contract expiring at the end of this season.

The winger, who turned 35 last week, is yet to agree an extension with the Bianconeri, sparking talk he may opt to return to his homeland.

However, the 2022 World Cup winner recently said he was "happy" in Turin, and in Europe, without committing to any direction beyond this season.

TOP STORY – BARCELONA PLOT BID FOR FREE AGENT DI MARIA

Barcelona are weighing up a shock bid to land Angel Di Maria as a free agent at the end of this season, claims Tuttomercatoweb.

Di Maria has previously expressed his desire to one day join hometown club Rosario Central but, at 35, may be tempted by another stint at the top level.

Atletico Madrid are also believed to be interested in the former Real Madrid, Manchester United and Paris-Saint-Germain winger.

ROUND-UP

– Bayern Munich will provide opposition to Paris Saint-Germain and attempt to sign Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech, claims Fichajes.

– PSG are keen to bring in Manchester United starlet Alejandro Garnacho, according to Mundo Deportivo. United are trying to extend the 18-year-old Argentinian's contract, which expires in 2024.

– Real Madrid are interested in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, but Napoli will not sell him for a price lower than €100m, claims Diario AS.

– Newcastle United are monitoring the status of Arsenal's Kiernan Tierney, who has fallen behind Oleksandr Zinchenko as their preferred left-back, according to Football Insider.

– Arsenal are front-runners in the pursuit to sign Inter defender Denzel Dumfries, reports Tuttosport. The Gunners have moved ahead of both Chelsea and Manchester United in the race for the Dutchman's signature.

– Fichajes reports that Zinedine Zidane, Mauricio Pochettino, Diego Simeone and Luis Enrique are all on Chelsea's shortlist to replace under-pressure manager Graham Potter, although The Mirror claims owner Todd Boehly has no intention of sacking him yet.

Neymar did not suffer a fractured ankle in Paris Saint-Germain's win over Lille, but will have to wait on the results of further scans to see if he has ligament damage.

The 31-year-old was taken off on a stretcher early in the second half at Parc des Princes on Sunday after sustaining an injury to his right ankle.

PSG went on to win 4-3 thanks to Lionel Messi's stunning stoppage-time free-kick, but Neymar's injury presents cause for concern, especially looking ahead to the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich on March 8.

Christophe Galtier suggested Neymar, who set up Kylian Mbappe's opener and scored PSG's second goal, had sprained his ankle and that has now been confirmed by PSG.

However, further scans will be required to determine if there are any issues with the ligaments.

"Victim of a sprained ankle during the match against Lille, Neymar underwent an MRI [on Sunday]," a PSG medical update read.

"This did not reveal a fracture. A new ligament assessment will be carried out in 48 hours."

Nuno Mendes also went off injured against Lille, with the Portugal international suffering "a small inflammation of the internal ligament of the right knee".

Like Neymar, the full-back will undergo more tests in the coming days to confirm the extent of the damage.

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."