Paris on fire in crazy match at La Mosson!
Driven by the talent of their players, Paris Saint-Germain managed to record another win in a completely crazy match against a valiant Montpellier side (2-6). Here's a look back at a match lit up by no fewer than eight goals!
The Parisians had a clear objective when they travelled to the south of France on Sunday: to get back to winning ways ahead of a busy international break that will take them to the four corners of the globe. Luis Enrique and his men headed for Montpellier to confirm their sparkling form at the top of Ligue 1. In keeping with his usual rotation policy, the Spanish coach had once again concocted a revamped XI, spearheaded by an attacking trio of Barcola, Kolo Muani and Mbappé.
Make no mistake about it: despite their fragile position in the standings, our opponents had some real strengths to bring to the table, and there was every reason to expect a thrilling Ligue 1 encounter! And the first half, as intense as it was eventful, didn't disappoint. And it was Paris who struck first! Faced with Michel Der Zakarian's well-organised side, Les Rouge et Bleu remained patient and gradually closed in on their opponents' goal... and they managed to break the deadlock without even stepping foot in the penalty area! It was Vitinha, a specialist in long-range shots, who turned the key and unlocked the match. Played into space by Kylian Mbappé, the Portuguese midfielder showed all his class as he bamboozled his marker before unleashing a superb looping shot that bounced past a beaten Montpellier 'keeper and into the back of the net (0-1, 14'). Crisp, neat and deadly.
Faced with opponents who were never going to give up, Paris had to maintain the pressure. And that's exactly what Luis Enrique's men did, surprising La Mosson once again with a superb swift attack. Initiated by Achraf Hakimi on the right, the counter was led by Kylian Mbappé, who worked a one-two with Randal Kolo Muani before bursting into the area and side-footing in at the far post (0-2, 22'). Surgical!
Still up for the fight, Der Zakarian's men redoubled their efforts to hit back - led by the indefatigable Savanier. And their tenacity paid off, as they pulled one back through Nordin, who opportunistically headed in at the far post (1-2, 31'). The goal revived the home side's hopes and made it clear it wouldn't be one-way traffic! From one end of the pitch to the other, the Parisians had to stay focused, consistent and very, very vigilant. In the 40th minute, Danilo Pereira pulled off a heroic save to deny Khazri, who was clean through on goal. But in the next move, in which it was far from clear what was going to happen, things didn't go our defender's way and Montpellier were awarded a contentious penalty, which Savanier converted (2-2, 45'). In short, the match was back on in earnest!
With the score level once more, the Parisians came back from the break with one objective in mind: to leave their opponents no chance. Luis Enrique decided to bring on Nuno Mendes to step up the pace, but it was one of the capital club's other devastating high-speed trains that crushed everything in its path. From 25 metres out, Kylian Mbappé unleashed a remote-controlled missile that crashed in off the underside of the bar (2-3, 49'). Vertiginous!
And it was clear that Luis Enrique had targeted the right strategy for this match, because after Vitinha's and Mbappé's efforts, it was a third long-range shot that put Paris further ahead. Kang-in Lee initiated a one-two on the edge of the area before firing a sublime curling shot past a helpless 'keeper (2-4, 53'). It really seemed that our Rouge et Bleu were trying to outdo each other for style points!
As the first half had shown, a two-goal lead was no guarantee anything in this match. So in the final half-hour, the Parisians were determined to put paid to Montpellier's hopes for good. Especially as some of them still had plenty in the tank, like Kylian Mbappé and Vitinha, who were proving virtually unplayable. And the Frenchman was yet to have his last word, completing his hat-trick with a lightning-fast half-volley after an equally blistering run (2-5, 62') - before Vitinha set up Nuno Mendes - yet another of the capital club's speedsters - to round out the scoring with an unbelievable near-post finish into the roof of the net (2-6, 89').
After such a crazy match, in which Paris opened up a lead, saw it erased, got it back and then doubled it, Paris Saint-Germain got the job done. The result brings this intense period to a close in the best possible way, with another convincing victory to extend the side's impressive unbeaten run to 24 matches. A job well done for our players, who can now join their respective national teams with a sense of accomplishment. What's next is just as exciting, as in a fortnight's time the Parisians return to Ligue 1 with what is shaping up as an electric Classique in Marseille. We're already rubbing our hands...