BARCELONA/PARIS: Leo Messi has stirred speculation about a summer return to Barcelona by flying back to the Catalan capital for the first time in many months within hours of scoring Paris Saint-Germain’s winning goal in a 4-3 defeat of Lille.

Messi was accompanied by Antonella, his wife, and his three sons.

PSG coach Christophe Galtier has given his team two days off after their win at the Parc des Princes. They are due back in training on Wednesday to prepare for next Sunday’s clash in Marseille – who knocked PSG out of the French cup last week.

Last week Jorge Messi, the player’s father, was also in Barcelona after negotiations in Paris with PSG supremo Nasser AlKhelaifi in Paris. PSG hope to persuade Messi to extend his contract, which expires this summer, for a further year.

PSG’s dramatic win over Lille saw Neymar carried off on a stretcher before Messi struck a winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Earlier PSG had been 2-0 ahead then 3-2 behind after goals from Lille’s Bafode Diakite, Jonathan David and Jonathan Bamba transformed the match.

Kylian Mbappe, who opened the scoring, grabbed his second in the 87th minute to give PSG hope of victory. Messi then won it in dramatic fashion with a 22-yard free-kick.

Neymar, a goalscorer in the first half, was kicked on his calf and then went over badly on his right ankle five minutes into the second half.

PSG said a scan had shown no fracture of the ankle but that more tests would be needed in the next 48 hours to assess ligament damage.

The French side will hope the Brazilian is fit for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern in Munich on March 8, which they trail 1-0.

The result means PSG are five points clear at the top of Ligue 1, after second-placed Marseille won 3-2 mid-table Toulouse later in the day.

** Barcelona re-established their eight-point lead at the top of the Spanish league after  2-0 win over struggling Cadiz on goals from Sergi Roberto and Robert Lewandowski. These were both players’ first league goals at Nou Camp a 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in October.

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