Paris Saint-Germain drew 1-1 away to Lorient in the 19th matchday of Ligue 1. Here's a look back at the match.
This Wednesday, as the night descended over Brittany, the autumn champions travelled to Brittany for their very last game of 2021. Mauricio Pochettino, who was without a number of players, fielded a new line-up to face a Lorient team that was more motivated than ever at the idea of playing for their survival in the top flight...
In the freezing cold Stade du Moustoir, the pattern of the match was clear. The Parisians had possession and the desire to play high up the pitch to press the very compact Lorient defence. The Bretons were as solid in defence as they were dangerous on the counter-attack, but they had to deal with Marquinhos, who made a heroic tackle (12'), and Keylor Navas (16', 17').
The Parisian strategy could have paid off, but the most dangerous ball was from Leo Messi, and hit the post (28'). But it was the Merlus' strategy that finally proved successful, as they were able to contain the Rouge et Bleu and pounce at the other end of the pitch, with Thomas Monconduit opening the scoring with a powerful effort (1-0, 40').
The objective was now clear: they had to press on to break through this defence, without exposing themselves too much to counter-attacks. Mauricio Pochettino brought on Sergio Ramos in the second half to sure up the defence. Gini Wijnaldum (52', 62'), Angel Di Maria (55', 65') and Gana Gueye (82') all tried their luck, but under pressure from the home side, they all missed Paul Nardi's goal, as did Leo Messi, who was always in the thick of things (73', 80'). In the final minutes, Sergio Ramos was sent off, which could have discouraged the Parisians (85').
But despite these setbacks, they never gave up, and remained true to form, finding the mental resources to bounce back late in the game! Mauro Icardi's goal-scoring instincts were evident when he headed home from close range after a pinpoint cross from Achraf Hakimi on the right (1-1, 90+1').
A final fightback that allows our Rouge et Bleu to avoid a defeat in this last game of the year. It's now time for the winter break for the league leaders and they''ll be back in 2022 to write a new chapter in three competitions!