The front three struggled as Paris Saint-Germain depended on an Idrissa Gueye masterclass to secure a 2-0 win over Montpellier.
Paris Saint-Germain maintained their hundred percent winning record in Ligue 1 after securing a 2-0 triumph over Montpellier on Saturday. This is their eighth successive victory to begin the campaign, with Les Parisiens closing in on their record of 14 back to back wins set during the 2018/19 campaign.
It was a completely dominant performance from the home side as they were all over the opposition defence, creating multiple openings in an attempt to make Jonas Omlin work for his clean sheet. However, their opener came in a rather unlikely fashion, with Idrissa Gueye’s sensational strike from distance finding the back of the net in 14th minute.
The goal allowed PSG to further spread their wings on the pitch, but they were slightly wasteful in front of goal. Montpellier, in response, did try to cause problems on the counter but were unable to create too many clear opportunities to cause any problems for Keylor Navas in goal.
In the end, the hosts secured the victory through Julian Draxler, whose effort on goal luckily went past Omlin in the 89th minute. And here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the PSG side in their comfortable victory over Montpellier this weekend.
Keylor Navas: 7/10
It was a surprise to see Keylor Navas back in the starting eleven ahead of Gianluigi Donnarumma. The decision, nonetheless, paid off for Mauricio Pochettino as the former Real Madrid goalkeeper registered four saves and remained alert whenever Montpellier came knocking in his door. A well-deserved clean sheet.
PSG 1-0 Montpellier
It's been quite a busy night for Keylor Navas  Here's one of his saves pic.twitter.com/5REYIv30WQ
— Lilian Chan (@bestgug) September 25, 2021
Achraf Hakimi: 7.5/10
Achraf Hakimi returned to the starting eleven to offer that extra oomph going forward on the right hand side. His pace and marauding runs down the flanks caused problems for the opposition, particularly allowing Angel Di Maria to drift into central areas with much more freedom and space.
Marquinhos: 7/10
Marquinhos produced a solid defensive display at the heart of the PSG backline. He marshalled the defence well, keeping Montpellier at bay with his leadership, experience and ability to read the game.
Presnel Kimpembe: 7/10
Presnel Kimpembe provided optimal defensive support for Marquinhos, keeping out the opposition from making any trouble in the defensive third. A solid performance that needs to be replicated in the upcoming Champions League fixture against Manchester City in midweek.
Abdou Diallo: 7/10
Abdou Diallo was given the nod at left-back ahead of Nuno Mendes. While the former Dortmund star offered a bit more defensive solidity out wide, he wasn’t shy with his forays down the flanks either, linking up well with Kylian Mbappe in the final third. He wasn’t as influential as Hakimi for obvious reasons, though.
Idrissa Gueye: 9/10
Idrissa Gueye was the undisputed Man of the Match in Paris Saint-Germain’s win over Montpellier. The former Everton midfielder ruled the show in midfield, showcasing brilliant work ethic and drove forward with the ball at every opportunity, as he created numerous openings in the final third. It was a fantastic performance that was capped off by an equally spectacular goal to open the scoring for the home side.
What a goal by Gueye to give PSG a 1-0 lead! ☄️
(via @ESbeINSPORTS)
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) September 25, 2021
Leandro Paredes: 7/10
Leandro Paredes operated in the centre of the midfield for PSG. The Argentine international was given defensive responsibility and he didn’t disappoint either, getting into the thick of the action with his tackles and willingness to win back possession for his team. A good effort from the number six.
Ander Herrera: 8/10
Ander Herrera made an excellent impression as well, thriving in the middle of the park against Montpellier. His technical prowess combined with his leadership and composure played a vital role in helping PSG dominate the proceedings. The Spaniard was even close to finding a goal for himself when his spectacular effort from outside the box almost caught Omlin off-guard.
Angel Di Maria: 6.5/10
Thanks to the presence of Hakimi out wide, Angel Di Maria was allowed to play his natural game as he drifted inside on multiple occasions and tried to create opportunities for his team. He wasn’t very consistent with his chance creation, however, and should have done more to breach the Montpellier backline.
Kylian Mbappe: 6/10
Kylian Mbappe caused problems for the opposition with his pace on the break. But other than that, the Frenchman wasn’t quite able to get a foothold in the game and it was reflected in his failure to find the back of the net. He will be hoping for a better performance in the upcoming game against Manchester City.
Mbappe to Idriss about Neymar :
“This beggar didn’t give me the pass” ??
— Fze (@Fze032) September 25, 2021
Neymar: 5/10
Neymar had a poor game in the final third. He was frustrating to watch as the Brazilian did showcase his skills while in possession, but was extremely wasteful and lacked proper decision making in crunch situations. The former Barcelona superstar was also quite lucky to get away with the assist for the late Draxler goal.
SUBSTITUTES
Georginio Wijnaldum: N/A
A late replacement for star performer Gueye. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Julian Draxler: N/A
Scored the all-important second goal of the night, but did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Mauro Icardi: N/A
A late replacement for Mbappe. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Rafinha: N/A
A late replacement for Herrera. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
