Neymar was one of the few positives while Presnel Kimpembe was poor as PSG suffered a shock 3-2 defeat away to relegation-threatened FC Lorient.
Lorient made a bright start to the game and had a few decent half-chances in the early exchanges while PSG struggled to conjure up anything meaningful. The hosts’ pressure paid off in the 36th minute when Laurent Abergel capitalised on some slack defending to put his team in front.
PSG equalised on the cusp of half-time though, with Neymar converting from the penalty spot after he had been hacked down inside the box by Houboulang Mendes. Thirteen minutes into the second period, the Brazilian slotted home another spot-kick, with that man, Mendes, once again the guilty party, fouling Mauro Icardi this time out.
Having taken the lead, PSG drifted off and allowed Lorient to get on the front foot. With ten minutes left, the home team found the equalising goal through substitute Yoane Wissa. And a minute into stoppage time, the turnaround was complete as the minnows launched a swift counter which ended with Terem Moffi finding the back of the net to condemn the champions to a shock defeat.
It was the first defeat of the Mauricio Pochettino era for PSG and here’s how we rated the performances in what was a disappointing outing.
Sergio Rico: 5/10
Stepping into the side in place of the injured Keylor Navas, the Spaniard endured an evening to forget. Made a good stop to deny Adrian Grbic in the first half, but looked nervy for almost the entire game, with one moment in particular when he failed to control a back pass sending jitters.
Let in three goals, although not a lot he could have done to stop them. Was beaten by a strike from Andreaw Gravillon, but was saved by a deflection.
Alessandro Florenzi: 6/10
Defended his flank well for the most part as he made five clearances and two tackles. However, wasn’t able to offer much in terms of attacking impetus failing to hit a single key pass or accurate cross.
Thilo Kehrer: 5.5/10
Handed a start at centre-back in Marquinhos’ absence, the German defender wasn’t at fault at any of the goals. But at the same time didn’t exactly inspire a great deal of confidence at the back either. Was precise with his distribution from the back though, completing 64 of his 67 attempted passes.
Presnel Kimpembe: 4/10
Replacing Abdou Diallo at the heart of the PSG defence, the Frenchman endured a torrid outing. Was involved in a huge mix-up with a teammate leading to Lorient’s opening goal. Was later outpaced by Moffi for the winning goal. Misplaced just three passes, made three blocks and a couple of clearances, but let his team down in key moments.
5 – Paris have recorded five defeats after 22 Ligue 1 games this season, their highest tally at this stage during the QSI era (since 2011/12). Relapse. #FCLPSG pic.twitter.com/AZ0tXfZjGg
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) January 31, 2021
Layvin Kurzawa: 6/10
Looked shaky early in the game and left spaces which the hosts tried to make the most of. But, grew more assured with time, making four tackles and winning six of his 11 duels. Wasn’t a major threat going forward though.
Angel Di Maria: 5.5/10
Showed plenty of intent on the right flank as he tried to push forward and hit crosses into the box, but the quality of the end product was disappointing. Managed one key pass, but only two of his ten crosses reached the intended targets. Lost the ball a staggering 24 times in the game.
Danilo Pereira: 5.5/10
Starting in the middle of the park owing to the absence of Marco Verratti, the Portuguese picked up a booking just two minutes in, which meant he had to walk the disciplinary tightrope for the rest of the game. Was involved in the mix-up with Kimpembe leading to the opening goal for the hosts. Kept things ticking along in the middle and did his bit off the ball, but lacked the quality to help in the attacking half.
Leandro Paredes:6/10
Started a bit sloppy, giving away possession cheaply, but grew into the game with time. Posted a pass accuracy of 92%, played one key pass as well and completed three of his four long-ball attempts. But does not offer the same kind of incision that someone like Verratti would.
Neymar: 8/10
Neymar with the 1st penalty double in Ligue 1 since Zlatan Ibrahimovic back in 2015. #FCLPSG https://t.co/CffoeK6lww
— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) January 31, 2021
The only positive for PSG on the afternoon, Neymar looked the most likely to cause damage going forward and one of his runs into the box earned him a penalty which he duly dispatched. Made no mistake from a second spot-kick after the break.
Delivered a few dangerous-looking crosses into the box, one of which led to a chance for Icardi. Completed five dribbles and three key passes – both the highest by any player on the day.
Mauro Icardi: 5.5/10
A quiet outing for the former Inter Milan captain who had only a couple of notable moments, first winning the penalty for PSG’s second and then having a header from Neymar’s cross saved not long after. Largely ineffective apart from that as Lorient did well to deny him any sort of space. Made just three touches inside the opposition box.
Kylian Mbappe: 5/10
Much like his strike partner, Mbappe was also a subdued presence in the PSG attack against Lorient. Failed to complete a single dribble or have a single shot on target, made just one key pass and fired over from a promising chance late in the game. Lost the ball 21 times over the course of the game.
Mbappe is going to want that one back ? #FCLPSG pic.twitter.com/qc1bo5nXHy
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) January 31, 2021
Substitutes
Idrissa Gueye: N/A
Replaced Paredes for the last ten minutes.
Pablo Sarabia: N/A
On for Di Maria soon after Lorient’s second. Couldn’t make an impact.
