How do you spoil your party and cut off the sound of an entire stadium? Instead, ask for the tutorial at Paris-Saint-Germain. On this December 4 evening of Sainte-Barbe, the Racing Club de Lens thought to pay tribute to its miners with a well-deserved and prestigious victory. But the Patron Saint of the black faces does not protect goals in added time. On a cross from Kylian Mbappé (put to rest and entered in the last minutes), the Dutchman Georginio Wiljnaldum (92e) cooled Bollaert with a header, unstoppable.
For the Northerners, this draw (1-1) during the 17e Ligue 1 day tastes of regret. “In the heat, it’s very annoying. When you can’t kill the match and take one in stoppage time, it’s annoying ”, the right “piston” Jonathan Clauss repeated to himself. His trainer, Franck Haise, prefers to see “The glass 90% full” and retain “The feeling of pride” before going back to these three opportunities not materialized by a bit of bad luck or a lack of composure between the post of David Pereira da Costa (69e) or the duel lost by Przemysław Frankowski (78e) facing Keylor Navas.
This PSG has some flaws and we let him know enough, but it almost always falls on its feet in the league, apart from a defeat in Rennes in early October. And that, regardless of the manner or the merits of the opponent, and those of Lens were immense this Saturday night. “ We have to give a lot of credit to this team which gave us problems ”, greeted Mauricio Pochettino. The matches and press conferences follow one another, and the PSG coach continues to unfold the same elements of language. Yes, his team could have done better, but nothing to worry about too much. And ask for more time, even eleven months after arriving in the capital.
There is enough to lose patience, however. Apart from the last quarter of an hour in the first half, Paris took a lesson in envy and even organization against the 5e of Ligue 1. For thirty minutes, Lionel Messi and his teammates agree with the lensois kop and the banner deployed at the bottom of the Marek stand. “No glitter starlets here, only players with warrior mentalities”.
The charge is a little easy, but does not aim completely aside. On the lawn, there is a team running and the other trotting between a Marco Verrattti in recovery and a Mauro Icardi mobile like a coal bed, at the forefront of the attack. But because talent allows all paradoxes, PSG obtains the two best situations of the first period between a strike on the post from Messi (his fourth of the season, record in L1) and the improbable rescue of Lensois goalkeeper Jean -Louis Leca in front of Angel Di Maria just before returning to the locker room.
An “English-style” match according to Verratti
Shortly after the hour mark, Lens will be rewarded for his overall performance. Messi loses a ball in contact and Verratti requests an audience with the referee, François Letexier, to claim a foul rather than go up on Seko Fofana. The strike of the best player of the evening turns into soap for a Navas (1-0) that we have known more serene and inspired.
Bollaert capsized and saw his players sweep over the Parisian defense. Carried away by the swell, Marco Verratti had the impression of being transported to a Premier League match. “It feels good to play matches of this nature, which we could say a little English, with a lot of chances on both sides”, almost savored the Italian at the microphone of Canal +.
To believe that Parisians are a little masochistic or persuaded to always get by. No matter how, no matter what time of the game. And when Messi stepped forward for a free kick at the entrance to the box in the wake of the equalizer, the word heist was in the minds of the 36,685 spectators present. Luckily for them, the Argentinian was kind enough to end his week of the seven-time Golden Ball with a shot too removed.
The Lensois, them, had the ovation that their match deserved. After a lap of honor and a good shower, Jean-Louis Leca found the right words to sum up this beautiful evening of football. “I do not pretend to say that we moved PSG, it was a boxing match, we took hits, we gave back, we played against a great team and we tried to be in our values ”, analyzes the preferred Corsica of the department 62.
PSG, it is in its logic. Unfathomable, but very hard to beat. Otherwise, he is officially the autumn champion with a thirteen point lead over Marseille. Congratulated for this very honorary title at a press conference, Mauricio Pochettino had the question repeated twice. Lately, the Argentinian is not too used to receiving compliments.