PSG succumbed to a 3-3 draw at the hands of RC Strasbourg on Friday despite a stunning brace from Kylian Mbappe.
Paris Saint-Germain failed to capitalise on their Ligue 1 triumph from last weekend, falling to a 3-3 draw at the hands of RC Strasbourg. It was a shocking display from the home side, with a poor defensive showing helping the opposition make an extraordinary second-half comeback.
PSG had control for a large part of the game despite conceding an early equaliser through Kevin Gameiro. They equalised in the 23rd minute through Kylian Mbappe and looked threatening on the break on multiple occasions. At the same time, the visitors looked extremely vulnerable defensively and were lucky not to concede a second.
PSG took the lead in the second half, thanks to Achraf Hakimi, who made no mistake tapping off an excellent cross from Mbappe. Moments later, the Frenchman scored his second goal of the night, capitalising on an individual error. The third goal from PSG appeared to have been enough in sealing the victory for the Parisian juggernaut.
But there was late drama in store for the home supporters as their team pulled one back in the 75th minute through Marco Verratti’s own goal. The goal paved the way for a period of pressure from Strasbourg, with PSG defending in deep blocks to deny any late equaliser.
The visitors were not very successful, with Anthony Caci eventually finding the third goal injury time to seal a valuable point for his side. And here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the PSG players in their disappointing draw with Strasbourg this Friday.
Gianluigi Donnarumma: 4/10
Donnarumma deserves everything happening to him pic.twitter.com/ujSvNiZwk3
— III (@Semprista) April 29, 2022
Starting ahead of Keylor Navas, Gianluigi Donnarumma continued his poor form with yet another shoddy display in between the sticks. The goalkeeper looked rattled in dealing with the pressure from the Strasbourg attackers and should have done much better to save the early goal from Gameiro, as he was beaten on his near post.
Marquinhos: 5/10
It was not the most convincing defensive performance from Marquinhos. The Brazilian lacked his usual dominance and was quite lucky for a first-half Strasbourg goal to be ruled out due to offside. He failed to lead his team by example, with his backline looking particularly disjointed during set-pieces.
Sergio Ramos: 4/10
Sergio Ramos is way past his prime, and it was evident in his performance against Strasbourg. The veteran defender simply does not have the pace or athleticism anymore to keep up with the dynamic forwards that Strasbourg have in abundance. It resulted in a lack of cohesion and solidity at the heart of the PSG defence on the night.
Presnel Kimpembe: 4/10
Presnel Kimpembe was culpable for conceding the early goal as he could not keep track of Gameiro’s clever run. He also looked extremely dysfunctional when defending set-pieces and could have arguably done better to clear the cross from Dimitri Lienard, in the build-up to the late equaliser.
Achraf Hakimi: 6.5/10
Achraf Hakimi looked impressive with his forays down his flank. He seems to be enjoying the right wing-back role, as it enables him the freedom to make darting runs forward and cause problems for the opposition. His influence in the game saw him get rewarded with a goal in the second half.
RAMOS X HAKIMI?❤️ pic.twitter.com/XthtLky6b3
— GIO SR4 (@arobase_sr4) April 29, 2022
Marco Verratti: 6/10
Marco Verratti had a mixed outing in the middle of the park. He was the catalyst in the build-up to the gorgeous second half, expertly playing out from the back to initiate a swift counter-attack. But on the flip side, he lost the ball quite easily at times and was unfortunate enough to get on the end of a set piece that saw him score the own goal.
Danilo Pereira: 6/10
Danilo Pereira offered energy and urgency in the middle of the park. But his lack of technical ability saw him struggle to play the ball out, especially when Strasbourg pushed forward. He should have been subbed off right after the opposition scored the second goal of the night. A tactical indecision from Mauricio Pochettino.
Juan Bernat: 6/10
Juan Bernat was given the nod ahead of Nuno Mendes as part of Pochettino’s rotation. He was not quite as effective as Hakimi going forward, but he did well to keep up with his markers. He made way for Nuno Mendes in the 81st minute, which sparked PSG’s downfall.
Lionel Messi: 5.5/10
After a series of good performances through March and April, it was an underwhelming night for Lionel Messi. He failed to offer his usual creative brilliance in the final third, while most of his efforts on goal were rather tame. He was defended rather well.
Kylian Mbappe: 8/10
Kylian Mbappe was by far the best player of the night. He showcased his pace, positional awareness and finishing ability to not only score two goals but also deliver the assist for Hakimi’s tap-in. The Frenchman looked unplayable at times with his offensive movements and had it not been for him, PSG would have easily lost this encounter.
Kylian Mbappé has 35 goals and 23 assists this season ✨ pic.twitter.com/EwH6fQPosd
— B/R Football (@brfootball) April 29, 2022
Mbappe’s potential exit in the summer would certainly represent a massive loss for PSG, and the club must do everything it can to ensure his prolonged stay in the French capital.
Neymar: 6/10
Neymar looked bright on multiple occasions, especially when linking up with Mbappe and releasing balls in behind the backline. His creative self took the charge on the night, whereas his goalscoring self lacked the usual accuracy and was wasteful on many occasions.
SUBSTITUTES
Nuno Mendes: 4/10
Nuno Mendes replaced Bernat during the final phase of the game. His introduction turned out to be a disaster as the youngster lost his marker Caci in the build-up to the late equaliser. A lack of defensive awareness is a key weakness in his game – something the youngster must work on if he is to start over Raphael Guerreiro in the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Angel Di Maria: N/A
A late replacement for Neymar. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Thilo Kehrer: N/A
A late replacement for Hakimi. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
