PSG reclaimed first place in Ligue 1 with a convincing win, albeit not necessarily a captivating one, against bottom-of-the-table Metz on Saturday evening. The holders may finally be hitting their stride this calendar year, with the second leg of their clash on the continental stage against Monaco coming in four days’ time.
With Lens slipping up against Monaco earlier in the day, Luis Enrique’s men had the chance to reclaim top spot in Ligue 1 before a Champions League clash against the team that paid them a favour.
It didn’t take long for the hosts to veer in front against Ligue 1’s bottom-placed side. Having been sent through on goal by a Zaïre-Emery through ball, Désiré Doué somewhat fortuitously beat Jonathan Fischer one-on-one to continue his resurgence in form.
The team from Lorraine wll have paid the price early on for their refreshingly adventurous approach to the match, and it soon became clear that a more defensive set-up was necessary to avoid a whitewash. That was the case over the next half-hour, with the visitors largely keeping the second-string Paris Saint-Germain side at bay.
Luis Enrique’s men duly dominated the rest of the first half, and Gonçalo Ramos initially drew a red card for Jean-Philippe Gbamin on the half-hour mark, before a VAR check overturned the on-field decision. PSG eventually found a way through on the stroke of half-time, though, with Bradley Barcola heading into an empty net after Ramos’ follow-up shot from a corner evaded Fischer.
The second half saw PSG’s dominance continue, even if there were a few flashes of hope for Metz. A mazy run down the right by substitute Bouna Sarr nearly opened up an opportunity for the Lorraine outfit, but sights of goal were few and far between for the visitors.
Overall, though, the tempo of the match dropped considerably after the break. PSG duly saw out the three points and Metz, who had only brought back four points from their away trips this season, were powerless to change the course of the match. Ramos added a third as the match entered its final fifteen minutes, with the Portuguese striker beating Sané before firing a shot past Fischer and into the far corner for a rare goal as a starter.
Matvey Safonov, 6
Achraf Hakimi, 6
Ilya Zabarnyi, 6
Lucas Beraldo, 5
Lucas Hernandez, 5
Kang-in Lee, 6
Warren Zaïre-Emery, 7 – Another one of Paris Saint-Germain’s young players who has enjoyed a purple patch since the turn of the year. The homegrown teenager, now back in a familiar midfield role, turned in another all-action performance, with his assist for Doué setting the tone for a commanding display.
Dro Fernández, 6 – The Spaniard saw enough of the ball in the hour he was on the pitch to make a positive impression on his first start, showing a technical ease on par with his fellow PSG midfielders. A greater physical presence will be needed to contribute to the higher-stakes matches, though. Replaced by the ever-reliable João Neves for the final half-hour of the match.
Désiré Doué, 6 – The 20-year-old’s return to form continued on Saturday as he scored within minutes of kick-off, making the most of a puzzling high line the visitors had set up. The forward’s involvement mostly consisted of keeping attacks ticking over from then on, but a good showing nonetheless. Replaced by Ibrahim Mbaye at half-time, after ostensibly picking up a knock towards the end of the half.
Gonçalo Ramos, 6
Bradley Barcola, 5
Jonathan Fischer, 4
Jean-Philippe Gbamin, 5 – The Ivorian was the main reasons why most of PSG’s attacks fizzled out into stale possession around the penalty area, having done well to protect his two centre-backs throughout the match.
Habib Diallo, 4 – The Senegal striker cut an isolated figure up front for the entire match, with scarce support coming in the few moments the ball did reach eventually him. Metz will have finished the game without a single shot on target.
