Parisian coach Thomas Tuchel warned: “That we do not expect too much of us”. With this defeat of entry to the promoted, caution was justified.
In the absence of seven executives affected by Covid-19, the German had tenured, Thursday, September 10, three young people, the “Titis” Arnaud Kalimuendo and Kays Ruiz and goalkeeper Marcin Bulka for the start of the season in the PSG championship, in a match of the 1re day postponed due to the presence of the Parisian club in the Champions League final.
And it was the Polish goalkeeper, the only one of the three to have already played a match in Ligue 1, who caused this defeat. A revival on the hour mark in the feet of the Lensois striker Ignatius Ganago (58e), which made the 3,800 spectators of Bollaert rejoice, who seemed much more in spite of the sanitary measures limiting the crowd in the stadium.
Little used in the first period, the Parisian goalkeeper was saved by his right post on a shot from… Ganago, the most moving of the Lensois.
A harmless attack
With a nice midfielder Verratti-Gueye-Herrera and the climbs of Layvin Kurzawa, the Parisians have yet demonstrated an overwhelming domination in possession (78% in the first period). Precise in the passes, the triple reigning champions of France first looked for the flaw, without success, probably seeking to tire the Northerners for the second period.
To this aligned team bis, it was certainly missing the titular goalkeeper Keylor Navas, but also the stars in attack Neymar, Mbappé, Icardi and Di Maria. Because neither Pablo Sarabia, nor the two neophytes in L1 Kalimuendo and Ruiz were really dangerous. The two 18-year-old strikers did not frame their chances, despite a few attempts from Ruiz (21e, 42e) and a failed face-to-face from Kalimuendo in the first period.
“It was not possible for us to create opportunities for ourselves, (and) unfortunately it was we who made the decisive mistake”, lamented Thomas Tuchel.
And after the opening of the score of Ganago, the vice-champions of Europe lost ground.
“After this goal, we lost our rhythm a bit”, Tuchel noted. “We also saw that we were tired after an intense match, after 70, 75 minutes”, he said, as his players resumed training less than a week ago.
Bollaert on fire
On the contrary, the Lensois, pushed by a 90% empty Bollaert but on fire, felt themselves grow wings and created new opportunities.
Banza threw himself in an attempt to regain a header from a ball repelled by Bulka (63e) and Sotoca missed a header at close range (79e) on a free kick from Corentin Jean. Without really trembling at the end of the game, the Blood and Gold supporters who found Ligue 1 in their den after nine years in Ligue 2, were able to exult at the final whistle.
“I am proud of the players, it’s obvious! We can only be proud of this group. I am proud of the public ”, greeted Lensois coach Franck Haise.
Especially since he had not thrown all his strength into the battle, three days before a trip to the other promoted, Lorient. Striker Florian Sotoca did not enter until the second half, as did the usual captain, the scathing Yannick Cahuzac, who left the armband to goalkeeper Jean-Louis Leca. The doorman offers himself the second scalp of PSG in his career, after a resounding 4-2 in 2015 with Bastia.
“Bollaert’s heart is not beating tonight but that of your supporters more than ever”, preached a banner installed in the lower part of the Marek stand, usual haunt of the lensois ultras, completely empty Thursday evening. The proof with this traditional song of Corons intoned in the final minutes, like a usual sold-out game night.
