Parisians not rewarded against Brest
Paris Saint-Germain had to settle for a draw at home on Sunday (2-2) on Ligue 1 Matchday 19, after a thrilling encounter with a strong Stade Brestois side. Here's a look back at the match.
The weeks go by and the competitions come one after the other, but the key for our Parisians remains the same: to stay on top of their opponents and to fine-tune their performances. Impressive in both the Trophée des Champions and the Coupe de France, Paris Saint-Germain were back in league action on Sunday evening against one of their biggest rivals of the season, Stade Brestois. With a number of players missing for this top-of-the-table clash, Luis Enrique took advantage of the opportunity to field an untried line-up, led by an attacking quartet of Kolo Muani-Asensio-Mbappé-Barcola.
The home side knew what was in store for them: against the valiant Bretons - unbeaten in 9 matches - our Parisians were expecting top quality opposition. Brest, who had shown their mettle at home in the first game between the sides this season, came to the Parc des Princes with the firm intention of winning. The Red and Blues were in no mood to be intimidated though, and it didn't take them long to get control of the ball and create some danger. After an early Vitinha chance (3'), Kylian Mbappé sent shivers through the Brest defence, but failed to find the net (7', 12'). Patience was required...
But it wasn't long before Marco Asensio provided the breakthrough. The Spaniard took advantage of a delicate chip from the dazzling Bradley Barcola to fire in and send the Parc wild (1-0, 38'). Wave after wave of attacks followed, each one more impressive than the last. It was no coincidence that our Red and Blues added a second before the break, Randal Kolo Muani showing his opportunism to poke home with the tip of his boot (2-0, 45').
But facing a team playing with no fear, the Red and Blues were pushed all the way. The visitors reduced the deficit with a deflected shot in the box, reminding the home side that they still had a battle on their hands (2-1, 55'). In the closing stages, Pereira Lage's back-heel brought Brest level (2-2, 80'), leading to a frenzied finale. The Parisians threw everything they had into finding a winner, but their good intentions were not rewarded, as evidenced by the harsh red card shown to Bradley Barcola (90'+4).
Despite their desire and dominance for long periods, the Parisians had to settle for a share of the spoils in a frustrating draw. But they continue their fine unbeaten run and remain comfortably top of the league. After a trip to Alsace to take on Strasbourg, the Parc will be the scene of 3 big matches: another Paris-Brest game in the Cup, the reception of Lille in Ligue 1 and the first leg against Real Sociedad in the UEFA Champions League.