KEY POINTS

  • PSG have 22 points from eight Ligue 1 games
  • Neymar has netted 11 goals for PSG this term
  • Messi has scored six goals and provided eight assists

Lionel Messi and Neymar bagged a special feat after helping Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) win 1-0 Sunday.

Messi scored the winner to help PSG defeat Lyon in Ligue 1 to return to the top of the league table. Neymar assisted Messi's goal, which marked the fifth assist between these two in Ligue 1 in the 2022-23 season. No other pair has more assists than them, according to OptaJean.

Neymar has been in great form in the ongoing season and has been involved in the team's goals in seven out of their eight league games so far. He has netted 11 goals and provided eight assists in 11 appearances for PSG.

PSG's fixture with Lyon was Neymar's 100th Ligue 1 appearance. Reacting to the landmark, Neymar said he was very happy to complete 100 games but was happier that his side claimed three points Sunday.

"I feel very happy to have reached this many games in Ligue 1 with PSG. I'm also even more happy that we won the game. Yes, it was a very good game tonight, we played very well. We won the game even though the game was difficult against a tough opponent. We had to be good defensively and going forward and that's what enabled us to win this game which was the most important part," Neymar said after his side's win, PSG's website reported.

Neymar (L) set up Lionel Messi (R) to score after five minutes in Lyon
Neymar and Messi have five assists in Ligue 1 this season. AFP

Meanwhile, Messi, who scored in the fifth minute at Parc Olympique Lyonnais, now has scored six goals in 11 games for PSG across competitions. He has also provided eight assists.

Messi has also surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo in the list of most non-penalty goals scored. Despite playing 150 games fewer, Messi has netted 672 non-penalty goals, one more than the Manchester United star.

PSG boss Christophe Galtier termed the victory an "important" one as they knew it would be a "tough game."

"Yes, it's an important win because of the other teams' results. It was important to get the victory and go back to the top of the table. We knew it would be a tough game. We could have had an easier game if we had finished our chances... I think the team played very well in an intense game just a few days after a Champions League game. We had a lot of possession and a lot of good chances. I think we also defended very intelligently without committing too many fouls," added Galtier in a post-match interview.

Lionel Messi