Paris Saint-Germain extended their winless run to three games after drawing 2-2 with Troyes on Sunday despite goals from Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
Paris Saint-Germain’s lacklustre form continue as they slump to a 2-2 draw at the hands of Troyes on Sunday. It was yet another disappointing performance from Mauricio Pochettino’s side, who are yet to register a single victory since securing the Ligue 1 title.
Heading into this game as the undisputed favourites, PSG enjoyed a relatively decent start to the proceedings, with Marquinhos opening the scoring in the sixth minute. It seemed to be a long night ahead for Troyes after they conceded the second goal in the 25th minute, thanks to a composed penalty from Neymar.
But just when PSG looked dominant, they shot themselves on the foot, as ever. Nuno Mendes committed an individual error around the half-hour mark, where his careless backpass went straight into the path of Ike Ugbo, who made no mistake in pulling one back for his team.
Troyes weren’t able to create anything meaningful going forward. But they were helped once again by PSG defenders, with Presnel Kimpembe committing a poor foul inside the box in the second half, leading to a penalty. Troyes captain Florian Tardieu converted the spot-kick with a delightful panenka to level the scoreline heading into the final phase of the proceedings.
PSG came close to finding the winner late in the game but they were wasteful in front of goal while Neymar had a goal ruled out by VAR, due to Mbappe’s foul in the build-up. And here, at the Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the PSG players in their disappointing result against Troyes this past weekend.
Keylor Navas: 6/10
In what might have been his final appearance as a PSG player in front of Parc des Princes, Keylor Navas had a rather disappointing evening. He couldn’t have done anything to save any of the two goals, but being beaten by a panenka always hits hard for a goalkeeper. Apart from the goals, Navas had a quiet afternoon, as Troyes mustered only three shots on target.
TARDIEU WITH THE PANENKA! ?? Troyes equalize!
2️⃣-2️⃣
? Watch PSG ? Troyes ?? live NOW on beIN SPORTS pic.twitter.com/uXX0b3mrAB
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) May 8, 2022
Achraf Hakimi: 6.5/10
Achraf Hakimi started the game slowly, but he eventually settled into the proceedings. He was quite useful with his marauding runs out wide, and unlike Mendes, he avoided making any grave defensive errors. It was not the most clinical performance from the right-back, but one that did the job.
Marquinhos: 7/10
Marquinhos latched on to a fantastic cross from Angel Di Maria early on to score the opener. Apart from the goal, he led the team well from the back, making numerous interventions and using his game-reading ability to nullify any danger from the opposition attack. He was let down by his defensive teammates – not for the first time this season.
Presnel Kimpembe: 5/10
It was not the best of performances from Presnel Kimpembe. He failed to offer the solidity at the back and most importantly, conceded a poor foul that led to Troyes’ penalty in the second half. Kimpembe’s lack of form could be a worrying sign for PSG and Didier Deschamps as we head closer and closer to the FIFA World Cup.
Nuno Mendes: 4/10
Nuno Mendes was culpable for conceding the first goal and essentially pave Troyes a way back into the game. It was not the first time the youngster has shown his defensive liability and he certainly needs to work on his discipline, if he is to become a quality fullback.
Que lambança do Nuno Mendes em? pic.twitter.com/BEldF4numm
— Paris da Depressão (@parisdadepre) May 8, 2022
Danilo Pereira: 5/10
Danilo Pereira was given the nod ahead of Idrissa Gueye. But the Portuguese international failed to impress. He was not useful in possession and made too many technical mistakes. Starting him ahead of Gueye in a game where PSG were destined to dominate possession was not the most logical decision from Pochettino.
Marco Verratti: 5.5/10
Another PSG midfielder that struggled on the night, Marco Verratti looked uncharacteristically out of place. He was unable to utilise his quality on the ball and ease the transition play for PSG or offer the creative support in the final third. He looked sloppy in possession as well, giving away possession cheaply on a few occasions.
Angel Di Maria: 7.5/10
Angel Di Maria started the game very brightly, looking almost unplayable with his crosses into the box, one of which led to the opener from Marquinhos. He was a delight to watch, but his influence faded as the game progressed. He was still the most impressive player on the pitch, nonetheless, trying his best to make things happen in the final third.
What an assist from Di Maria tonight get him @juventusfcen pic.twitter.com/BEEbKiKxco
— Black&White? (@OldJuventinoII) May 8, 2022
Lionel Messi: 5/10
Lionel Messi produced a rather dull display in the final third. Operating in the number ten role, the Argentine was unable to find his attacking teammates in key areas and was mostly restricted to tame efforts from outside the penalty area. He was even booed by some section of the PSG fans for his poor performance on the night.
Neymar: 7/10
Neymar looked much better than Messi in the final third. He offered creativity and ideas, often trying to find Mbappe behind the box. He notably released the pass that led to the foul on Mbappe and later converted the spot-kick to double PSG’s advantage. He scored another goal in the second half that was ruled out by VAR.
Kylian Mbappe: 7/10
Kylian Mbappe started the game extremely well, making life difficult for the Troyes defenders with his runs in behind the backline. He did pick up a knock during the foul that led to the penalty, but the Frenchman soldiered on to play the entirety of ninety minutes. Whether or not this was his final game at Parc des Princes remains to be seen.
Substitutes
Idrissa Gueye: N/A
A late replacement for Danilo. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Georginio Wijnaldum: N/A
A late replacement for Verratti. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Ismael Gharbi: N/A
A late replacement for Di Maria. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
