PSG overthrows RC Lens

Last rehearsal for PSG before hosting Manchester City in the Champions League last Wednesday, and not the least. The leader of our championship, still undefeated in Ligue 1, traveled to Lens for this 18th day. Not only is this move never easy but Luis Enrique also had to deprive himself of Hakimi, Marquinhs and Dembélé. The Spaniard presented a 3-4-3 with a unique defense made up of a trio of left-handers: Beraldo, Pacho and Hernandez. He also deprived himself of his best passer, Joao Neves, to favor Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz, while Lee completed the attack alongside Barcola and Doué.

The rest after this ad

In this unusual configuration, the capital’s players quickly took control of the game, facing an opposing team forced to defend. An effective defense all the same because the Parisians were easily exhausted passing through the axis. It was also in this sector of play that they obtained the first and almost only situation for a moment through Ruiz; a shot on target from 20 meters (13th). Paris was starting to get moving, lacking response in midfield, while Nzola’s power caused some problems at the back. And as has often been the case since the start of the season, it was from a set piece that the punishment fell.

Ruiz and Barcola reverse the trend

On a corner from Frankowski extended to the near post, Nzola controlled and adjusted Donnarumma against a passive defense (1-0, 36th). This opening score was not undeserved for the Sang et Or who were consistent in their intentions. The play more focused on long balls in the second half did not really worry them any more, while the very high positioning of the Ile-de-France defense sometimes bordered on correction. Nzola even thought he could score a double by deceiving Donnarumma, not blameless at the time, before the VAR canceled the goal (57th). A real turning point in this meeting, Fabian Ruiz took advantage of a back pass from Barcola to equalize (1-1, 59th).

The rest after this ad

Luis Enriqsue tried to press even harder by bringing in Neves and Ramos in place of Hernandez and Lee (60th). These changes, and the move to 4 behind, were good for PSG. There was still this double attempt from the new recruit Koyalipou but this time Donnarumma intervened well (65th), as during this flight on this great shot from Gradit (81st). Paris still showed more control at the end of the match, like Koffi’s save against Doué (79th). By pushing so hard, it ended up cracking on this comeback from Neves, concluded by Barcola (1-2, 86th). A final save from Donnarumma on Frankowski (90th+3) and PSG forces a hard-won success to take a 10-point lead at the top.