Gianluigi Donnarumma was the only positive as a 10-man PSG played out a goalless draw against Stade de Reims in Ligue 1 on Saturday.
Paris Saint-Germain remained unbeaten after 13 games across all competitions in the 2022/23 season. But PSG’s goalless draw against Stade de Reims was their second successive listless display. That was despite dominating the proceedings despite being down to ten men for the majority of the game.
But PSG lacked bite in the final third, managing only three shots on target, with Reims managing four despite having only 37 per cent possession. PSG’s best chance fell to Kylian Mbappe in the first half, which tells half the tale. But the Frenchman shot straight at Yehvann Diouf, who did well to close the angle.
Neymar also saw a chance falling his way, while Diouf also produced a superb save to deny Fabian Ruiz in the opening period. At the other end, Gianluigi Donnarumma was at hand to keep out efforts from Alexis Flips, Arber Zeneli, Marshall Munetsi, and Mitchell van Bergen.
But the moment of the match was Sergio Ramos’s dismissal, which appeared bizarre, as referee Pierre Gaillouste showed him two yellows within seconds for excessive argument. With the draw, PSG missed the chance to extend the lead over Marseille to five points after Les Phoceens lost to AC Ajaccio. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Christophe Galtier’s men.
🎥🎙️💬 #𝗦𝗗𝗥𝗣𝗦𝗚
🗣️ @NordiMukiele: "We will still have to work, rectify certain things, both defensively and offensively." pic.twitter.com/JRCEcRXArH
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) October 8, 2022
Gianluigi Donnarumma: 7/10
Donnarumma was the standout performer for PSG against Reims, which tells the entire tale. The visitors were substandard on Saturday and needed their goalkeeper to ensure a stalemate. The Italian international made a couple of top-notch saves, showing why he remains the first-choice goalkeeper for PSG.
Danilo Pereira: 6/10
Danilo worked hard at the back in another demonstration that he has settled down as a centre-back. The Portuguese international made six clearances and four interceptions, working well with Marquinhos after Sergio Ramos’s dismissal. He also completed 91 per cent of his attempted passes.
Marquinhos: 6/10
Marquinhos was the standout defender for PSG against Reims, making several crucial clearances (six in all). At the same time, he was efficient with the ball at his feet, completing 92 per cent of his attempted passes. All in all, it was a solid outing by the PSG captain.
Sergio Ramos: 5/10
Ramos barely put a foot wrong in the opening 40 minutes, completing 94 per cent of his attempted passes while winning five duels. But his outing ended before half-time for constantly arguing with the referee. While Pierre Gaillouste’s decision seemed bizarre, Ramos should have known better than to continue dissenting.
Sergio Ramos has been sent off 28 times in his career 😳 pic.twitter.com/aaUt6u9FKJ
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 8, 2022
Nordi Mukiele: 6/10
Mukiele spent more time in his half rather than the final third, and that impacted PSG in the offensive phases. The Frenchman defended well on his flank, but he needed to be more proactive going forward. That is why Achraf Hakimi is so important for PSG.
Fabian Ruiz: 6/10
Ruiz was a bundle of energy in the middle of the park and circulated possession smartly. The Spanish international completed 95 per cent of his attempted passes and even came close to scoring with a long-range effort in the first half. But he faded as the game progressed and needed to do more.
Marco Verratti: 6/10
Verratti played in his usual fashion, asserting PSG’s control of the game while barely losing possession. But his outing last only one half as he was seemingly on the edge after Ramos’s dismissal, with Vitinha replacing him at the break.
Juan Bernat: 6/10
Bernat spent a lot of time in the final third and completed all but four of his attempted pass. But he lacked the creativity PSG needed to slice open Reims’ defence. However, the Spaniard was solid at the back, winning all his duels while completing numerous crucial defensive interventions.
Pablo Sarabia: 5/10
Sarabia had a game to forget on Saturday as he produced a listless performance in the final third. The Spanish international did not muster a single shot while losing possession 16 times. It is a wonder how he lasted 88 minutes before finally making way for Achraf Hakimi.
Carlos Soler: 6/10
Carlos Soler was one of the better players for PSG in the first half and created a superb chance in the first half, which went begging. He made way for Neymar before the hour mark, but the Brazilian international did not deliver the goods.
Kylian Mbappe: 5/10
🗣️Christophe Galtier after yesterday’s game :
“Mbappé was a bit alone and lost due to the absence of Leo and Ney from the start. I noticed and had to bring on Ney during the match”#PSG🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/POB9L68q2e
— PSG Chief (@psg_chief) October 9, 2022
Mbappe had another game to forget, following up from his sub-par outing against Benfica. The Frenchman lost possession cheaply and completed only 65 per cent of his attempted passes. He had the best chance of the night to break the deadlock but fired his effort straight at Yehvann Diouf. Mbappe has to start pulling his weight.
SUBSTITUTES
Vitinha: 6/10
Vitinha replaced Verratti at half-time and pushed PSG for the elusive goal. But while he completed all his attempted passes, the players in front of him lacked ideas and could not make things happen.
Neymar: 5/10
Neymar, the player to watch in our preview, tried to make things happen but was missing the spark on the night. He also saw a superb chance falling his way, only to inexplicably miss the target. Neymar has lost his groove and needs to step up soon.
Achraf Hakimi: N/A
Hakimi barely had any time to make an impact as he touched the ball only thrice.
