Mauro Icardi and Angel di Maria scored to give their team a quiet night against Lille.
A four-day away from Real Madrid in the Champions League, Paris SG did not tremble to get rid of Lille (2-0), Friday, November 22, opening the 14e Ligue 1 day.
For his return to the field, Neymar had a frustrating evening, and it was the Argentinean duo that helped advance the club of the capital at the top of the championship. As in Brest before the truce (2-1), Mauro Icardi (17e) and Angel di Maria (31e) scored to give their team a quiet evening, despite the rain and Lille defense to five, which suggested the opposite.
The albiceleste style is less flamboyant, but more effective, like Icardi who scored his 10e goal in 11 games, on his very first ball in the box, on the lookout for a mistake by José Fonte. This action summarizes all he missed in Lille: without their scorer Victor Osimhen, suspended, nor Jonathan Bamba, sick, the Dogues cruelly lacked realism to give themselves a chance to take a point, and reward several good sequences. Unable to win away this season, the last of his Champions League pool, the young formation of Christophe Galtier, fragile 7e from L1, has received from leaders a lesson of opportunism … but Neymar, not much.
Perhaps the worst game of the season for Neymar
For his return, the Brazilian left the locker room the big smile that he has become accustomed to displaying in training. Finally in competition mode, after more than a month of absence, he may have delivered his worst game of the season. Nervous, often to claim faults to the referee, the No. 10 has chained more balls lost than gestures of brilliance. He returned directly to the locker room to his replacement (63e), head down.
But, after the repeated injuries that have missed the maestro more than a match in two since his arrival in 2017, the essential was elsewhere for PSG, already turned to Madrid. "Ney" has played without embarrassment, and this is good news for coach Thomas Tuchel, who can count on a team almost complete.
Kylian Mbappé, the last big interrogation for this trip after a virus deprived him of training until Thursday, gave a glimpse of a good state of form on the half-hour he played. The prodigy could even have scored on his first chance (68e). Keeper Keylor Navas, who treated the truce with adductor pain, was very good. He missed the party only Marco Verratti, injured, and Edinson Cavani, who missed his chance to score (90e) after entering the 78e.
