On the 18th day of Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain won against Angers (2-0) on Wednesday. A success without manner.
The Parisians provided the essential against Angers.
When the leader receives the last, the audience can usually wait for a demonstration. Admittedly, Paris Saint-Germain beat Angers (2-0). But the show was not there.
Starting cautiously, the Ile-de-France club was quick to find the fault. From their first opportunity, the Parisians opened the scoring through Ekitike (1-0, 5th)!
No special welcome for Messi
This goal so early in the game was not necessarily good news for the show. PSG, despite the presence of Neymar and a Messi neither whistled nor more supported than usual after his return from the World Cup, was not very enterprising.
Angers took the opportunity to chain a few sequences of possession, or counter thanks to the speed of Sima in front, without being dangerous. It was Christophe Galtier’s men who managed to solicit goalkeeper Bernardoni, jumping on Ramos’ head and Messi’s shot! Insufficient to pack the Park the break.
The disappointing and whistled PSG!
We therefore expected a reaction from PSG upon returning from the locker room. But on the contrary, it is the red lantern which dominated this beginning of the second period. Clumsy, Sima even missed the equalizer with a half-volley in the stands! What annoy some supporters who did not hesitate to whistle their team unable to put the intensity in their system three central defenders.
Nevertheless, the locals still managed to make the break thanks to Messi (2-0, 72nd), whose goal initially refused for offside was finally granted by the VAR. Unlike that of Neymar who shot Bernardoni. Be that as it may, PSG offers itself a major success since the current leader of Ligue 1 takes a 6-point lead over Lens, and becomes winter champion.
Match score: 3/10
Faced with the last in Ligue 1, we expected a much more creative PSG. The Parisians never put on the expected intensity and therefore did not pack the game. We even heard Park whistles. That is to say.
The goals :
– After a touch on the right, Messi shifts Mukiele who crosses at the near post in Ekitike’s race. The Parisian striker is ahead of defender Hountondji and deceives goalkeeper Bernardoni with a perfectly crossed flat foot (1-0, 5th).
– On a nice collective movement, Messi finds Ekitike pivoting in the axis. The center-forward of PSG deviates on the right side for Mukiele who gives a small ball in depth to the Argentinian. The world champion chained left foot control and cross shot with the flat of the right foot to adjust Bernardoni (2-0, 72nd).
Players’ NOTES
Maxifoot has assigned a score (out of 10) comments on each player.
Man of the Match: Lionel Messi (7.5/10)
For his return after his coronation at the 2022 World Cup, the PSG playmaker did not return his best copy. His missed passes are not unnoticed. But he remains decisive by being involved in the goal of Ekitike, then by scoring himself in the second period. His small ladle for Neymar would have deserved a decisive pass but the Brazilian was slightly offside.
PARIS-SG :
Gianluigi Donnarumma (5): very little asked, the PSG goalkeeper spent a quiet evening. We will only remember his little misunderstanding with Bernat on an outing not necessarily necessary.
Sergio Ramos (5.5): annoyed by his team’s inability to produce play, the Spaniard tried to break lines and speed up the game in the first period, not always with success. He was hampered by Sima’s speed from deep and lost a dangerous ball badly negotiated by Abdelli.
Marquinhos (6): also disturbed by the athletic qualities of Sima, the Parisian captain has limited the damage. Despite his few inaccuracies in the relaunch, he may have avoided the equalizer by countering Abdelli’s strike.
Danilo Pereira (6.5): lined up as the third central defender, the Portuguese was solid as usual. He took no excessive risk, without ever panicking under the opposing pressure.
Nordi Mukiele (7): sometimes shaken by the overflows of Doumbia, then by those of Boufal after his entry into play, the right piston held the shock. Better, he was decisive with two offerings for Ekitike and Messi. However, it was not easy as he was sometimes lonely on his side.
Fabin Ruiz (3): the Spanish environment becomes a real enigma. Too discreet and sometimes too neutral in his game, he did not contribute much in the midfield. To believe that the summer rookie is not yet adapted… or simply not at the level? Replace the 79th by Warren Zare-Emery (not).
Vitinha (6): available and always ready to look for solutions forward, the Portuguese was one of the few to try to liven up the game in the first period. But he lost track after returning from the locker room and spent more time chasing the ball. Replace the 86th by El Chadaille Bitshiabu (non not)who should have been sanctioned with a penalty for a foul on Thioub at the very end of the game.
Juan Bernat (5): alone on his left lane, the Spanish piston regrets the absence of Kylian Mbapp. He was forced to replay most of his back balls. He is still the author of a very good center for Ekitike and a big return on Sima. Also note his little misunderstanding with goalkeeper Donnarumma, without consequence.
Lionel Messi (7.5): see comments above.
Neymar (4.5): difficult to speak of a lack of involvement. In any case, the Brazilian was not in it. We have rarely seen so much waste in his game, even when he tried to exchange with Messi. His few successful outsides of the foot are not enough to forget the rest. His volley from the left into the top corner might have saved his game, but he was slightly offside.
Hugo Ekitike (6.5): the most skeptical will still blame him for his lack of connection with his teammates, and especially with Neymar and Messi. It is true that there is a clear lack of automatism between them. He still ends up with a goal and a penultimate pass on Messi’s pass. We feel that he is more and more determined and confident. Promising. Replace the 79th by Carlos Soler (not).
ANGERS :
Paul Bernardoni (7): it was not a great PSG and yet, without such an inspired goalkeeper, Angers would have left with a suitcase! The SCO goalkeeper managed impressive parries on Ramos’ header from close range or on attempts by Messi and Ekitike.
Abdoulaye Bamba (4): no doubt delighted with the absence of Kylian Mbapp, the right side was still bothered by Bernat’s overflows, sometimes alone to adjust his crosses.
Cdric Hountondji (4.5): behind the first scorer Ekitike, the central defender recovered well afterwards. He was more aggressive, the image of his authoritarian intervention in the feet of Messi.
Miha Blazic (6): if the Parisians have not always managed to find themselves in the axis, it is also because of the reading of the Slovenian game. He was able to intercept several changes between the Parisian attackers.
Souleyman Doumbia (6): faulty on the goal of Ekitike, the left side remains the author of a good performance. He was interesting on several ball outings and his crosses deserved more presence in the Paris area.
Batista Mendy (3): often late in duels, the defensive midfielder had to make mistakes. Too tender against Messi on the action of the first goal. Replace the 80th by Waniss Tabi (not not).
Pierrick Capelle (6): exemplary in the state of mind, the versatile midfielder did not tremble under the Parisian pressure. He showed seriousness and application in everything he undertook. Replace the 61st by Farid El Melali (not not).
Nabil Bentaleb (7.5): not bothered by the ball, the midfielder impressed technically! He was able to get out of the pressing with ease to direct the game. We even saw him recover balls higher in the second period. A demonstration.
Adrien Hunou (3): much too hesitant with the ball, the former Rennais has multiplied the ball losses. He badly negotiated several promising moves for his team. Replace the 62nd by Amine Salama (not not).
Himad Abdelli (6.5): the image of his two balls offered Sima, the Angevin winger has often been in the good shots of the SCO. He still made the wrong decision by deciding to strike Marquinhos when teammates seemed better placed. Replaces his 62nd request with Sofiane Boufal (not not)enterprising against Mukiele but not decisive.
Abdallah Sima (4): while his speed represented a real problem for the Parisian hinge, the Angevin striker did not take advantage of it. He lacked accuracy on the technical level and in his choices. He may regret this huge opportunity when he sends his half-volley into the stands! Replace the 80th by Sada Thioub (not not)who should have obtained a penalty for a foul by Bitshiabu.
+ Find the results and the classification of Ligue 1 on Maxifoot
And for you, who were the best and worst players of the match? Comment in the “comments” box below!
PARIS SG 2-0 ANGERS (mid-time: 1-0) – FRANCE – Ligue 1 / 18th day
Stadium: Parc des Princes, Paris – Referee: Eric Wattellier, France
Goals : H. Ekitike (5th) L. Messi (72nd) for PARIS SG
Warnings :
PARIS-SG :
ANGERS :
Ekitike struck in the 5th minute (1-0)
Messi still hard to stop
Messi and Neymar had more difficulty finding each other
The tribute of the Parisians Pel during the warm-up
