(MENAFN) In Lionel Messi's final appearance for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the team suffered a 3-2 defeat against Clermont in a highly anticipated French Ligue 1 week 38 match. The game at Parc Des Princes was filled with emotions as both Messi and Sergio Ramos bid farewell to the Parisian club. The encounter got off to an intense start, with Clermont having an early goal disallowed in the seventh minute.
It was Ramos who provided the breakthrough for PSG, scoring the opening goal in the 16th minute. The Spanish defender, like Messi, was playing his last match for the Parisians. Shortly after, French superstar Kylian Mbappe extended PSG's lead with a well-taken penalty kick in the 21st minute. However, Clermont swiftly responded as Johan Gastien found the back of the net just three minutes later, reducing the deficit.
The first half continued to provide plenty of drama as Grejohn Kyei missed a penalty kick for Clermont in the 37th minute. Nevertheless, Mehdi Zeffane made amends for his teammate's miss by equalizing in the 46th minute, ensuring the teams went into halftime level at 2-2. The second half witnessed an intense battle, with both sides vying for a decisive goal.
It was Kyei who ultimately proved to be the hero for Clermont, scoring the winning goal in the 63rd minute. PSG fought hard to salvage a point but were unable to find an equalizer. Despite the loss, PSG had already secured a record 11th French league title the previous week with a 1-1 draw against Strasbourg.
For Messi, his stint at PSG comes to an end as his contract expires at the conclusion of the season. The Argentine superstar joined the Parisian club in 2021 after departing Barcelona. While his time at PSG was marked by impressive performances, he faced criticism for the team's elimination in the Champions League round of 16 at the hands of Bayern Munich.
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