Forgotten, the two inaugural defeats of the season. By chaining a fifth success in a row, Paris-Saint-Germaina took control of Ligue 1 for the first time this season thanks to their victory in Nîmes (4-0), Friday, October 16, during the 7e day.
Despite the heavy score, the Parisians left the feeling of a team that is saving itself, four days before its entry into the Champions League, far from the steamroller that slapped Angers (6-1) the previous day.
It must be said that trainer Thomas Tuchel could hardly make it turn. Between suspensions, injuries and Covid-19, he was deprived of eight players including the Brazilian Neymar, preserved after his long trip to South America for the World Cup qualifiers. Despite this, the 5,000 Nîmes supporters who came to the Costières stadium, health gauge requires, did not long hope to titillate the champion of France.
In this duel against a club with a budget fifteen times greater, the “Crocs” made their task a little more complicated from the start by finding themselves at ten (13e) after Loïck Landre’s red card. The central defender, trained at PSG, was logically expelled for a kick in the chest of Rafinha. The Brazilian, recruited from Barcelona in the last minutes of the transfer market, made a success of his landing in Ligue 1 with a good attacking contribution and crosses on the line.
Tireless Mbappé
The other recruit at the end of the transfer window, the Italian Moise Kean, failed to score on his few occasions (7e, 39e, 87e). On the other hand, Kylian Mbappé made his tireless youth speak. Forty-eight hours after playing a whole match – and scoring – with the Blues in Croatia (2-1 victory), the 21-year-old Parisian striker played almost the entire meeting… and did even better, with a double.
Launched one on one by a superb deep pass from Rafinha, Mbappé eliminated Nîmes goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet and opened the scoring, scoring with coolness in the empty goal (32e). Alessandro Florenzi doubled the lead (78e), a well-deserved reward for the Italian, who had found the post twice before (66e, 76e).
Mbappé satisfied his hunger for goals by scoring with the flat foot (83e), just before his trainer Thomas Tuchel sent him out to make way for Jesé. “I spoke with him yesterday, he told me he felt good and he absolutely wanted to play, explained the German technician after the match. He’s the guy who can always make a difference, he did it, that’s good. “
“The matches are linked, I always want, always the passion”, proclaimed Mbappé on Téléfoot after the Parisian demonstration, completed by a goal from Pablo Sarabia, helped by an error from Reynet, solid until then (88e).
For PSG, the hassles are still there before the reception of Manchester United on Tuesday at the Parc des Princes. Already deprived with certainty for this match of Mauro Icardi and Thilo Kehrer, and probably of Marco Verratti and Marquinhos, Thomas Tuchel can now worry about Leandro Paredes, released very early (11e) while holding the thigh. Angel Di Maria and Neymar, who should be back, will not be too much …
While waiting for the European evenings, and the derby, Sunday between Lille and Lens, whose winner will take the lead in the standings, the reigning French champion passes in front of Rennes on goal difference and sits for a moment, with 15 points, in the leader’s chair.
Rennes hanging on to Dijon
The return to competition, after the international break, was more difficult for the Rennes, hung 1-1 by Dijon. The Bretons nevertheless remain unbeaten with four wins and three draws, while having the best attack in the championship (15 goals). But they missed the opportunity to build up confidence before hosting the Russian club Krasnodar in the Champions League on Tuesday, a competition that the Breton club is playing for the first time in its history.
Martin Terrier, transferred this summer from Lyon for 12 million euros, however opened the scoring quickly enough, by scoring his first goal for Rennes in the 24e minute. It is ultimately too little, and Dijon, much better after the break – and which takes its second point of the season in seven games -, was able to obtain an equalizer deserved by Mama Baldé, after a personal feat that saw him take the best over Nayef Aguerd and Daniele Rugani (54e).
The offensive efficiency was lacking on the side of Rennes. Nayef Aguerd, with a header, just missed the frame on a corner, while a ball from Adrien Hunou hit the crossbar (85e). In additional time, Allagbé interposed on a final recovery from the head of Daniele Rugani, who was playing his first match with his new club, upon receiving a free kick from Flavien Tait (90e + 4).
But if Rennes could not preserve its goal in advance, Julien Stéphan did not draw on the resources of its workforce either. Steven Nzonzi and Damien Da Silva were suspended and French and Ivorian internationals Eduardo Camavinga and Jérémy Doku, like Jonas Martin, were on the substitute bench at kick-off.
The Rennes coach will have enough to field a more competitive team for the first Champions League match in the club’s history, Tuesday at Roazhon Park.
