It was a magical evening at the Parc des Princes on Sunday, as Paris Saint-Germain recorded a convincing 4-0 victory in Ligue 1 over Stade de Reims. It was an extra special evening for Sergio Ramos, who finally scored for the club after having had a very slow start to the season. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi is finally back after a bout with Covid-19.

PSG struggled to make a breakthrough for most of the first half, despite strong efforts from Kylian Mbappe and and Danilo Pereira. It was Marco Verratti who finally scored the opening goal for the hosts just before half-time. Reims played well in the first half but everything fell apart for them after the break.

Sergio Ramos finally opened his account with his new club in the 62nd minute via a close-range shot off a rebound. The former Real Madrid captain was visibly delighted to make a significant contribution more than six months after his arrival. The Spaniard started his PSG career on the sidelines, and has spent most of the season recovering from injuries. It was a slow start, but fans are hoping that he can get back to full fitness in the crucial later half of the campaign.

Danilo Pereira drove the final nail into Reims' coffin in the 75th minute to make it 4-0 following an own goal from Wout Faes.

Messi came in only as a substitute in his first match of the year as manager Mauricio Pochettino reintroduces him into the squad with caution. The Argentine tested positive for Covid-19 on December 22 while in Argentina, and was cleared to return to Paris earlier this month. He has since been undergoing recovery training, and will be brought up to speed in time.

PSG now has an 11-point lead over Nice at the top of the Ligue 1 table, and have been undefeated for five straight league games. They want to keep the momentum going and the morale high before welcoming Real Madrid for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 clash on February 15.

Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos slams in his first Paris Saint-Germain goal AFP / FRANCK FIFE
Lionel Messi