Four days after their first win in the Champions League, the Paris Saint-Germain players continued their good momentum in Ligue 1, by winning against Brest in Matchday 7 (1-0). Here's a look back at the match.
After a successful start against Juventus on Tuesday in a fiery atmosphere, and just before flying to Israel for the second European match of the season, the Parisians returned to the Parc des Princes on Saturday evening to get back to domestic action. Christophe Galtier included Danilo Pereira and Juan Bernat in his starting line-up for the game, and were powered by the firepower of the MNM up front.
It was important to set the scene before diving into this Ligue 1 matchday 7 game. It was a case of Brest, who were struggling at the bottom of the table, coming to the Parc to take on the Parisians, who have led the league since the very first day. As a result, the two teams played a very different style of football, with Brest keeping a very low block, and the Parisians attacking with a lot of energy and determination. All this under a heavy downpour.
Attacking together, defending together: the Parisians' approach was clear, and the attacking virtuosos were also involved tracking back, with Sergio Ramos always quick to bring the attacking danger. It was Neymar Jr who made the difference, despite the fouls he had been suffering since the start of the match. The Brazilian virtuoso took advantage of Leo Messi's wonderful opening and controlled the ball brilliantly before firing it into the net from the edge of the box. (1-0, 30'). The sky was clearing for our Parisians, both literally and figuratively.
Our Rouge et Bleu were free and could now take advantage of the opportunities in the opponent's area. Kylian Mbappé, who was not rewarded for all his efforts, was repeatedly denied by Bizot (33', 43', 45'), or had his goal disallowed for offside (44'). He was unlucky until the end, when he set up Leo Messi for a header that hit the post (50').
From Neymar Jr's delightful attacks, Kylian Mbappé's lightning accelerations, to Leo Messi's or Marco Verratti's vision, the Parisians continued to put forward great team moves in an attempt to break down a team that was ultra-tight defensively, but still threatening offensively.
And although Brest did try to turn the tide by taking advantage of a strong period in the last 20 minutes, they were denied by Donnarumma’s impressive saves, who was also responsible for saving a penalty from Slimani (70'). It showed that this victory was the result of total commitment from all the players, from the attack to the goalkeeper.
For his part, Christophe Galtier continued his policy of injecting freshness with the introduction of Fabian Ruiz, Nuno Mendes, Hugo Ekitike, Pablo Sarabia and Marquinhos. Without being able to extend their lead, our Parisians managed to ensure the three points with this important victory! A victory that allows them to get back to the top of Ligue 1 before looking ahead to the next European games, starting on Wednesday, in Haifa...