The prize for the Champions!

An evening to make history. A big away trip in the warmth of spring, which should have allowed Paris Saint-Germain to further develop their status, with a historic 11th title, making them the most successful club in French football. A point was enough to secure the title. And to round off this festival of travel across France, Christophe Galtier selected a previously unseen line-up, juggling absences to pick an attractive eleven led by Kylian Mbappé and Leo Messi, who were both determined to remain at the top of the pile in the top scorer and top passer rankings. All in front of a packed Stade de la Meinau.

It was only to be expected that the encounter would be shaped by the stakes and pressure, within a stadium renowned for its fervour. The proceedings certainly didn't disappoint. Because while Paris were reaching for the stars, Frédéric Antonetti's Strasbourg side were looking to secure their top-flight status. Once again, our Rouge et Bleu came up against a courageous and determined team. In fact, it was the Alsatians who had the better chances in the first half, firing several shots at Gigio Donnarumma, who had to be at his best to deny a dangerous Habib Diallo (14', 22', 25'). They would also need a touch of luck, when the latter's effort smashed against the Paris post (38').

But as in every match, the script is never written in advance. And our players wanted to have their say! At the other end of the pitch, Les Rouge et Bleu set about testing the nerves of their hosts by getting their feet on the ball (70% possession in the first half), and by creating suspense every time they took the ball. In fact, Leo Messi found Kylian Mbappé on several occasions as the Frenchman went close (9', 11', 20', 29'). From a set-piece, too, the Argentinian perfectly found Renato Sanches, and he thought he could have turned the game on its head with a fine volley, only for Sels to pull off a fine save (29').

With it goalless at the break, everything was still to be done in the second half. From runs from Kylian Mbappé to Sergio Ramos' efforts to play out from the back, Les Parisiens tried to push the Strasbourg side back. All that was left to do was to break them down! And who better than the Mbappé - Messi duo to do so? A change of role, as it was the usual scorer who turned provider! Kylian Mbappé perfectly found Leo Messi, after sprinting into the box before Messi left the Strasbourg stopper with no chance (0-1, 59'). In finding the back of the net, the Argentine became the all-time top scorer in the history of the top five European leagues, with no less than 497 goals.

Taken aback by this scenario, Racing finally fought back. And history will remember that it was Kevin Gameiro who put his team back on their feet ten minutes from the final whistle (1-1, 79th)... From then on, the challenge for our Red and Blues was to keep the score level, while maintaining the ambition to hurt their opponents up front. Les Parisiens did everything in their power to snatch victory, inspired by the supersonic Kylian Mbappé, only to be denied at the end of the umpteenth burst of acceleration (86'). It was the final flash of brilliance before the moment of deliverance for our players, who were able to celebrate after the final whistle.

The film of this rich, long and intense 2022-23 campaign will be remembered before the final match of the season against Clermont next Saturday at the Parc des Princes. And how could you forget that Paris Saint-Germain's 11th title leaves a unique mark on French football, after facing many headwinds, and that when the lights go out, three words come to mind: CHAMPIONS OF FRANCE.