Paris Saint-Germain beat Stade Brestois (1-0) on Saturday during the 7th day of Ligue 1. Here are our Tops and Flops of the match
TOPS
The Parisian passing game
In the first half, the Parisians repeated the same pattern, the same combination with long openings from Lionel Messi behind the Brest defense. If the first two sequences served as a rehearsal with failures from Neymar then Mbappé (11th and 13th), the third was the right one: the Brazilian crossed his powerful shot to open the scoring following a magnificent control (30th) and so score the only goal of the match (1-0). between long openings in spaces and small passes in depth, Messi and Neymar dictated the Parisian game by imposing the rhythm. The South American duo posted 81% of successful passes at the end of the game. More discreet in this compartment, Mbappé broke the Brest curtain with quick calls but still recorded 89% in the pass.
Read alsoLigue 1: PSG wins in pain against Brest and regains its throne of leader
Honorat guides the Brest counterattacks
If Stade Brestois struggled to be present in attack during the first 45 minutes, Franck Honorat nevertheless attempted several breakthroughs on his right side. He is the player who guided most Brest counterattacks throughout the match. His crosses were well measured but Islam Slimani never knew how to follow his teammate’s offerings. He posted 78% of successful passes at the end of the meeting and was the author of some high pressing sequences, particularly on the action after Messi’s post where Honorat quickly raised for Fadiga then Camara (54th).
Donnarumma saves PSG
While he was rarely called upon in the first hour of play, Gigio Donnarumma saved PSG on several occasions, allowing his team to lock in victory and the three points. The Italian perfectly repelled the penalty from Slimani (72nd) after the foul committed by Presnel Kimpembe on Bandiougou Fadiga. Ten minutes from the end, the former Milanese deployed quickly on the ground to avoid CSC Kimpembe following his missed header (80th). Two big saves from Donnarumma which relieved an overly smug Parisian team. He ends the encounter with three parries and an aerial sortie.
Read alsoLigue 1: “We were solid”, salutes Donnarumma (PSG)
FLOPS
Worrying Kimpembe
Pointed out during the last weeks of the transfer window with the Disasi and Skriniar rumors in the figurehead, the defensive sector of PSG is far from bringing insurance to this meeting. Paradoxically, Danilo Perreira, established in the three-man defense, was the most solid and regular. The captain of the day Presnel Kimpembe almost cost PSG precious points: first by causing the penalty (missed by Slimani) on Fadiga. If the fault seems slight, “Presko” has not yet caught up. Close to a CSC on his failed header, the French international can thank Gigio Donnarumma who repelled his error for a corner (80th). In the last seconds, he was injured on an avoidable sliding tackle in midfield (90th)…
The lack of realism in Brest
What a pity for the Stade Brestois! The Bretons must harbor regrets in the second half because Paris Saint-Germain began to doubt, chaining a few errors in defense. But the Der Zakarian players didn’t want to take any risks by mounting their low block. Certainly it is never easy to come to the Parc des Princes, but with four corners taken and two shots on target (out of two attempts), Brest could have grabbed a point this Saturday afternoon with more freedom in their attacking game.
Slimani gets a magnifying glass
The Brest striker did not have the game of his career… With 17 possessions lost, three fouls committed and a missed penalty, Islam Slimani should have been more decisive. On several occasions, he was behind on his team’s counter sequences, in particular with the very good crosses of Franck Honorat (10th). At the end of the match, he posted two shots for one on target. Insufficient impact.