Buoyed by a flamboyant start to the match which quickly gave it a two-goal lead, PSG logically won against OL (3-1) despite a slow time before the break. A look back at the individual performances of the Parisians on a case-by-case basis.
Donnarumma: As too often, the opponent’s first opportunity ended up in the back of his net and the Italian could even have seen his match end there given his disproportionate reaction after Mikautadze’s goal. He continued the game and was able to repel a tricky attempt from Veretout. At the end of the match, he was also impeccable on a shot from Fofana. On the foot, he assured.
Judge: Captain of the evening, the Moroccan was on the momentum of his good performance in Salzburg and this was seen when PSG was in its periods of domination. Races, lots of projections towards the opposing goal, some very high level ball catches, a big participation in a narrowly denied goal and even a rather good defensive performance overall. Problem, Hakimi was really in trouble during the Lyon highlight: defensive errors, technical errors on bad days, the Moroccan almost ruined everything like his team in a very short time.
Beraldo: A surprise starter in the right axis of defense three weeks after his last match, the Brazilian was on his weak foot most of the time and this showed in his use of the ball. He, who is an overall very reliable technician, missed his passes a few times and offered several counter balls to OL. Defensively, paradoxically, he was not really in difficulty since Lyon rarely attacked his zone. Overall, the pairing with Pacho worked quite well.
Marquinhos replaced him for the end of the match while his compatriot was starting to be on the edge and the usual starter made a very good entry. From his first intervention, he made you feel that the level had just risen and he delivered a full half hour of good performance, clean and efficient.
There : The Ecuadorian had a good client in front of him with the technical and mobile Mikautadze and the latter suffered when he crossed the PSG defender. In the duels, Pacho was as often impeccable, winning almost all of them whether they were on the ground or in the air. The left-hander was also able to sign a few interventions that were far from obvious, but he didn’t necessarily defend very well on the conceded goal, in addition to missing the restart at the start of the action. His weak point is clearly the use of the ball, and this was seen on a regular basis this Sunday. But when it comes to defending, Pacho is a strong point.
Nuno Mendes: As in recent matches, the Portuguese benefited from a lot of freedom on his left side and he especially took advantage of it at the start of the match when Paris was attacking hard. He is thus the one who finds Doué before the penalty caused. Mendes then used his speed perfectly to attack as well as to defend. But he too was caught up in the Lyon storm before half-time: total forgetfulness on the Lyon goal, blocked restarts, questionable intervention in the area, the Portuguese made a series of errors in incredible fashion. His start to the second half was more successful, fortunately, but not to the level of the start of the match.
Hernandez replaced him for the last half hour and the French left-hander immediately brought his energy and his vice. After the first minutes, however, he showed a lot of approximation and the Lyonnais could have taken advantage of it with a little more precision.
Vitinha: Parisian sentinel, the Portuguese initially stood out above all for his penalty transformed in the style of a former local master and his ability to cover Mendes on the left. In a very free role in the first half, he served the game but suddenly completely disappeared when OL pushed hard. In the second half, on the other hand, Vitinha totally dominated the debates: all of PSG’s attacks went through him, his chest allowed him to be in all the hot spots and his technique allowed him to make Lyon run into space. A nice rise in power in the end.
Zaire-Emery: Returning to his right-back role, he started strong as PSG did, winning duels all over the pitch while penetrating into the box. If he sometimes stepped aside in the game to let his teammates lead the maneuver, he did not sink before the break, even if Cherki dominated him before the goal, and his incredible ball release in front of his defense under pressure even put his team back in the right direction. In the second half, he was again this reliable midfielder, complementary to the other two. And when the opponent stuck his tongue out at the end of the game, he continued to run and bring the ball forward.
João Neves: Once again aligned as a left relay player, the Portuguese made a big start to the game and he was everywhere at once, recovering the balls with his usual aggressiveness and directing the Parisian game. Eye-catching and generous, he largely contributed to the Parisians’ huge start to the match, even if not present in the decisive actions. His second half was less successful, even if he was always just as valuable defensively, but his weight in the game was less and his passages into the opposing area were not necessarily the most successful.
Lee : Starting again in a right winger role rather close to the line, he produced a meeting quite similar to the previous ones. It’s hard to blame him for the slightest technical error since the South Korean is often impeccable in this area, which allows his partners to combine with him constantly. But when it came time to make the difference with the pass or in the last gesture against goal, he was a burden for his team. Too slow to decide, too academic with the ball, too predictable, he failed to be a positive factor for his team as the opponent’s goal approached.
Stagger replaced him and he brought quite a punch with his legs on the left flank, forcing the Lyon rearguard to run behind him. But if the winger ran a lot and provoked, the execution was not often there and OL were often able to catch him at the end of his actions. And when he was able to challenge Perri, the frame slipped.
Dembélé: It was in the center that the usual winger made his return and he ideally knew how to start his game since, after a miss, he was able to open the scoring by ensuring. In this role where he touched fewer balls than usual, he gave some very interesting ones to his teammates since Lee or Barcola could have scored on passes from him. But everything was not perfect and his passage on the right side during a good part of the second half did not show the usual wisp, with a lot of ball losses and difficulty in triggering positive actions. For a return game, this will do the trick.
Fabian Ruiz replaced him for the end of the match in an unusual right winger role that Luis Enrique had not made him occupy for over a year, he made a good entry. He even had time to get involved in the last goal.
Gifted : Lined up on the left, the winger wasted an entry counter but that was probably his only mistake of the first half hour. Simply elusive, he turned the game around the first time with his superb rush to open the score then a second time by going for the penalty. Fair offensively and valuable defensively, he then walked on water but got lost in the black hole before the break with several avoidable fouls which took him out of the match for a time. In the second half he was harder to find and was denied the superb goal he had scored before finishing in the middle, pulling off some good combinations with Barcola. But it was especially his first half hour that took him into another dimension.
Gonçalo Ramos replaced him for the end of the match and the Portuguese immediately showed himself to be collective and combative. This very positive attitude has not been denied since he is at the origin and the conclusion of the third Parisian goal, showing himself in turn as a recoverer, passer and scorer. With another great finish.
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