Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino said Lionel Messi was delighted with his reception after making his debut at Reims.
The Argentine came on as a second-half substitute, three weeks after being forced to leave Spanish giants Barcelona.
“The welcome, it was something beautiful to see and hear from our supporters, but also from Reims fans. Messi was very happy about it,” added Pochettino.
“The motivation of the competition is there for everyone, but his presence brings optimism.
“Everyone feels it. It has an influence on the other players.”
Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring after 15 minutes when he got between two Reims defenders to head the ball into the back of the net from a well-weighted Angel Di Maria cross.
With Reims having seen a goal chalked off by VAR, Mbappe added his second three minutes past the hour mark.
Pochettino believed Messi's arrival had a calming influence on his side after he was greeted with enthusiastic cheers from the 6,000 travelling fans.
“I felt it as soon as he came on to the field and his first touches of the ball,” said Pochettino.
“He brought a calmness to the team. It’s very important to get off to a good start, even for him."
