Without forcing its talent, Paris Saint-Germain won, on Friday, November 22, the return of Ligue 1 after the international break. Despite a lackluster match and with many players absent or on the bench (Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Donnarumma, Vitinha), the Parisians were effective and defeated Toulouse (3-0), confirming their solid leadership position in the French championship.
With this tenth victory in twelve days, the capital club confirms its national dominance, far from its difficulties in the Champions League (25my of the 36 in the ranking) that will be found on Tuesday on the pitch of Bayern Munich. At the same time, the Munich team also won comfortably (3-0) thanks to Harry Kane’s hat-trick against Augsburg.
On Friday, against a Toulouse team that almost never put the ball in danger, the Parisians kept and rotated the ball. The first half was particularly boring, with a pace that was too slow (76% possession for PSG), but with formidable efficiency in the first inspiration signed by the Portuguese midfielder Joao Neves, who opened the scoring with a beautiful volley, served by a cross from afternoon captain Achraf Hakimi. (1-0, 35my).
Luis Enrique optimistic
“In Ligue 1 we are realistic. In the Champions League we are far from our level. Our efficiency will increase very soon”Parisian coach Luis Enrique optimistically declared at a press conference, adding that he was “It is important to arrive full of confidence” to a European party.
The second half, however, was just as lackluster, although Paris had a goal disallowed for Marco Asensio’s offside position (54′).my), which will have been very poorly illustrated. As did Bradley Barcola, who, for once, failed to do much on the left lane.
With this victory, supported by a goal from Lucas Beraldo (2-0, 84′my) and Vitinha (3-0, 90 + 1) at the end of the match, Paris once again took a six-point lead over Monaco, winners at home in Brest earlier in the afternoon (3-2).
First goal of the season for Golovin
In this version of the duel “Top 5 of the Champions League” – Monaco and Brest are 3 respectivelymy and 4my of C1 with 10 points out of 12 – the principality club calmly prepared to host Benfica Lisbon on Wednesday evening, with the aim of at least securing qualification for the play-offs, although its coach, Adi Hütter , admitted that he “ We will have to offer a better performance than what we produce”this Friday night.
Because Monaco was mistreated for a long time after the break by a good Breton team, which fought until the end but suffered a third consecutive defeat in L1.
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The Monegasques immediately responded to the Bretons. After a poor recovery by Thilo Kehrer, Maghnes Akliouche erased Brendan Chardonnet with a nice dribble in the center circle to launch his teammate Eliesse Ben Seghir. The Moroccan international then perfectly timed his fourth decisive pass of the season in L1 to the French international (1-0, 5my).
In the process, Akliouche missed the double. Taken by Aleksandr Golovin, it hit the post (9my). But before half an hour, the Russian scored his first goal of the season (2-0, 24th), taking advantage of a high press that forced Edi Fernandes, who had just replaced the playmaker, to make a mistake. of Brest, Pierre Lees-Melou, injured a shin and left the stadium on crutches.
If just before the break, the Monegasque Breel Embolo missed the ball to make it 3-0 after a cross from Ben Seghir (45+4), it was mainly the Brestois Abdallah Sima who almost reduced the gap (45+2). He will do it shortly after. In a corner from the incoming Kamory Doumbia, Sima headed victoriously (2-1, 50my) and electrified debates that finally balanced out.
“Nightmare afternoon” for the Brest coach
Brest coach Eric Roy was excluded for having too vehemently challenged a decision by referee Thomas Léonard (67my), but he pushed his men to look for an equalizer. And if Akliouche scored his fifth goal in L1 with a magnificent dive in a new perfect counterattack (3-1, 90 + 1), Ludovic Ajorque demonstrated Brest’s mood and their desire to fight, scoring a new goal (3 – 2, 90+5). But it was too late.
“Between the result and the possible injury to Lees-Melou, it is a nightmare night”lamented Eric Roy, who felt that his team “He showed his true colors in the second half”.
Brest, twelfth in Ligue 1 with 13 points, can start to worry at an accounting level. And the Bretons will not travel calmly on Tuesday night to the Montjuic Olympic Stadium to face the ogre of Barcelona in a Champions League that, however, is going much better for them. Quite the opposite of PSG; and the whole paradox of football.
