Paris SG stalled against Bordeaux (2-2), Saturday, November 28, four days before the crucial trip to Manchester United in the Champions League, a competition that Marseille managed to forget, returning to the Ligue 1 podium after its victory against Nantes (3-1) during the twelfth day.
“Wednesday we will try to play our best game, play well but we have to improve certain details: we have to play more as a team, we have to organize ourselves better and otherwise it will be difficult”, summed up Neymar at the microphone of Canal + after this misstep at home. With this poor performance, the leader of the French championship is exposed to a return of the runner-up Lille, three points behind before traveling on Sunday (9 p.m.) to Saint-Etienne.
At the Parc des Princes, the Parisians displayed a sad face before crossing the Channel, punished by their former player Hatem Ben Arfa, decisive on the opening of the Bordeaux score and even more on the equalization of Yacine Adli, another former club from the capital.
Often untenable in attack, not always flawless in defense, Ben Arfa gave a cold sweat to the club which had banned him before his departure in 2018. It was first on a corner from the neo-Bordeaux that the “Titi” Timothée Pembele (18), surprise holder for the first time in his young career, propelled the ball into his own net (10e).
The equalizer of the Girondins also came from his feet. It is he who serves the newcomer Yacine Adli, another former PSG, before the pretty coiled strike of the striker (60e) does not cheat Sergio Rico, titular goalkeeper in the absence of Keylor Navas.
Between two, Neymar on penalty (27e) and Moses Kean (28e) had managed to erase the bad start of the vice-champions of Europe, without bringing the domination that befits their status. If PSG stalled, it is also because Kylian Mbappé failed to shelter his team, despite several clear chances. The 21-year-old world champion was close to scoring the 100e goal of his Parisian career, but his counter remained blocked at 99 because of a post (35e), offside (48e) and a goalkeeper, Benoît Costil, very lucid on a face to face (55e).
A little earlier in the day, the Olympian paradox was confirmed. Again beaten this week in the Champions League by Porto, OM once again won in Ligue 1. Against Nantes at the Stade-Vélodrome, the Marseillais signed a fourth victory in a row to forget their setbacks in C1 and get back on the podium.
The art of perpetual rebound: OM are now four points behind the leader, PSG, virtually catching up and “surpassable” with two fewer games.
Unable to score a point or a goal in Europe, André Villas-Boas’ team delighted its supporters on three occasions, after a perfectly controlled match, during which its three offensive players, in difficulty this season, will have found the way to opposing goals: Florian Thauvin in the 2e minute, Dimitri Payet at the 35e and Dario Benedetto at the 60e.
Silent since the start of the season, the Argentinian striker was perhaps, this time, electrified by the death of the idol Diego Maradona, eternal glory of Boca Junior, a club in which he himself played before joining the OM. When he converted his penalty on the hour mark, Benedetto paid tribute to the “Pibe de Oro”, stretching out his ten fingers by showing, in the background, in the opposite turn, the banner “Adios 10” with the face of Diego.
Pre-match, instead of the traditional Jump, the Vélodrome had also sounded with the famous song The mano of Dios, sung by the star herself and taken from Emir Kusturica’s film titled Maradona.
After this fully successful exit, OM only has to export their breath of Ligue 1 to the European Cup, in order to try to obtain their first continental victory against Olympiakos on Tuesday. At least for honor, even if coach André Villas-Boas seems to have already made his choice between a still possible participation in the Europa League – thanks to a 3e place of the group – and the championship, priority of priorities.
