Paris finish the year in style against Metz!

A final push to brave the winter cold before a well deserved break: Paris Saint-Germain set out in front of their beloved fans for the final outing of an emotional 2023. It was the uninhibited FC Metz who took to the Parc des Princes on match day 17. Missing several key players, including Ousmane Dembélé, Luis Enrique opted to field an ever unpredictable starting eleven, with a three-man defence, 4 midfielders and an all-French attack led by Bradley Barcola, Randal Kolo Muani and the ever-present Kylian Mbappé. These were the attacking weapons they needed to offset the deep, compact defence that faced them.

Between these two teams of opposites, the balance of power was written in advance: the Lorrains came to the game with the firm intention of reducing space as much as possible, while Luis Enrique and his men were determined to keep their DNA and take control of the match! The Parisians won the ball back from their opponents to an enormous extent, creating space and waves of attack. Their territorial dominance was reflected in a flurry of chances... Even so, it was the Messins who came close to opening the scoring when Donnarumma's upright saved a deflected effort from Van Den Kerkhof (23'). It was a reminder that, despite their outrageous control of the match (80% of possession at half-time), the Parisians needed to put the result beyond doubt in the second half.

After the break, the 22 players came back with the same intentions: build a fortress for one side, find the breakthrough for other. And it was Vitinha who tipped the balance! Taking advantage of some good work from Lee Kang-in on the flank, the Portuguese striker raced into the area to tip the ball home and give the Parisians the lead (1-0, 49').

The good news about the goal was that it forced FC Metz to expose themselves a little more... And Kylian Mbappé, who blew out his 25th birthday candle on 20th December, had every intention of celebrating in style! Once again, the number 7 showed his class with an absolute masterpiece of a sudden and powerful shot into the top corner! (2-0, 60'). A work of art!

The end of the match was made all the more frantic by the fact that Les Messins reduced the deficit when Udol headed in a corner (2-1, 72')... It was a goal that had the merit of pushing the visitors a little further out to open up space for our forwards, who did not hesitate to send shivers down the spines of spectators at the Parc des Princes. As if on cue, Kylian Mbappé sealed the win with a goal full of cunning, stealing the ball from a rebound and slipping it into the empty net (3-1, 83'). It was all over!

A game of two halves, Paris Saint-Germain rounded off the year 2023 with a final victory, confirming their honorary title of autumn champions at the end of an intriguing first phase. The next chapter will be written in 2024, and very soon, with another title up for grabs as the Trophée des Champions looms on the horizon on 3rd January. It's a date to tick off before other exciting fixtures for the Parisians, who will be remain hungry for more after the festive period...