PSG Player Ratings vs Benfica: 7/10 for wantaway Mbappe; poor Verratti gets 5

PSG will have to wait to secure qualification for the Champions League knockout stages as Benfica held them to another 1-1 draw.

The wait for both Benfica and PSG to qualify for the Champions League knockout rounds continued as the two teams played out a drag 1-1 draw at Parc des Princes in a game that was somewhat overshadowed by Kylian Mbappe’s transfer stories.

The hosts’ performance was negatively impacted by Lionel Messi’s absence, as they continued to struggle going forward, just like they did when the Argentine playmaker was absent against Reims.

PSG made a good start to the game and appeared to be on track to score a couple of goals, if not many. They had the lion’s share of the possession in the opening period and scarcely gave Benfica a chance to even take an effort at Gianluigi Donnarumma. Les Parisiens attempted four shots, three of which were on target, while the visitors did not take a single shot.

Six minutes before half-time, Les Parisiens were even awarded a penalty after Antonio Silva brought down Juan Bernat. The on-field decision was confirmed following a VAR check. Kylian Mbappe, who reportedly wants to leave PSG, stepped up and slotted his penalty into the bottom-left corner past Odysseas Vlachodimos to give his team the lead.

Benfica equalised just after the hour mark when Joao Mario converted a penalty following a silly foul on Rafa Silva by Marco Verratti. PSG thought they had scored a late winner when Mbappe volleyed a close-range effort into the roof of the net. But the flag was raised immediately for offside against the striker, and the hosts’ celebrations were short-lived.

Both teams looked pleased with a point from an underwhelming encounter. And after Juventus’s 2-0 loss to Maccabi Haifa earlier in the evening, PSG and Benfica are on the brink of qualification for the Last 16 with two games spare in Group H. The Hard Tackle will now run the rule over Christophe Galtier’s men after what was a dire performance from the hosts.

Gianluigi Donnarumma: 6/10

While this was far from a terrible display from the Italian No. 1, Donnarumma had a bad game by his high standards. He failed to make a single save and allowed Benfica to score from their only attempt on goal, a penalty in the 60th minute. He dozed off in the first half and almost gave a cheap goal away when receiving the ball to feet.

Sergio Ramos: 6/10

Ramos did not receive a red card here after his exploits against Reims. So, that is your first positive. Regardless, the Spaniard had a decent game and looked precise on the ball. He led the backline, bringing his vast experience and tough-tackling style to the table. He won six of his eight duels, making one clearance, two blocks and one tackle in the process while also hitting four accurate long balls.

Marquinhos: 6/10

The Brazilian was a more composed figure in the back three and put forward a solid display. The PSG captain kept Goncalo Ramos quiet for long spells and limited the visitors to a few clear-cut chances. Marquinhos’s defending to stop Julian Draxler on the break at the conclusion of the game was essential, while his accurate passes from the back were crucial to a stunted build-up play.

Danilo Pereira: 6/10

Danilo Pereira had an okay game, although Benfica’s front line did not test him much. He looked like a midfielder playing at centre-back, taking needless risks on the ball. But he showed his pace to recover and sweep up when called upon.

Achraf Hakimi: 5.5/10

Given how highly-regarded Hakimi is, supporters had every right to be upset with his showing on Tuesday night. The offside flag saved the day in what was a terrible excuse of a header early on ended up in a handball. The Moroccan international struggled and did not push up high enough or show his typical quality in dribbling attempts or a few hopeful crosses.

Vitinha: 6/10

Vitinha had an okay game in PSG’s midfield and distributed the ball well, boasting 88% pass accuracy. However, he lacked just the one thing that makes his game so special and fell flat. He was too safe in possession and did not push up high enough or make enough attempts to go beyond the line of defence, which hampered PSG’s creativity.

Marco Verratti: 5/10

It was a game of two halves for Verratti, who was good on the ball and created the chance which led to Bernat earning the penalty in the first-half. However, he overshadowed his own good work with the unnecessary tackle that resulted in Benfica getting the equaliser in the second half.

He completed all five of his attempted long balls but was dribbled past three times, looking off the pace. And Verratti will now miss the next game against Maccabi Haifa.

Juan Bernat: 6/10

Bernat did an excellent job filling in for the injured Nuno Mendes. He outperformed his teammate on the opposite wing and worked effectively with the PSG attackers against Benfica. His first-half burst resulted in the penalty that put PSG ahead. The Spaniard won five of his seven duels and made one clearance and three tackles.

Pablo Sarabia: 5/10

Sarabia failed to impress in the front three and was quiet, rusty, and showed a lack of sharpness in the final third along with poor decision-making.

Neymar: 7/10

A largely ineffective but proactive performance from the Brazilian. Neymar found himself driving assaults forward with desire on many occasions but fell prey to PSG’s fragmented attack without Messi. He was some way from his electric best but pulled off some key passes and tried to knit attacks together.

Kylian Mbappe: 7/10

One may have expected that the numerous rumours in the French and Spanish media about Mbappe wishing to leave PSG in the next transfer window would have disrupted his concentration ahead of the game. But the Frenchman let his football do the talking.

He was the brightest spark in an otherwise mediocre PSG effort against Benfica, using his pace and dribbling to cause mayhem. A genuine livewire, Mbappe scored the opener with a penalty and nearly clinched the victory in the closing minutes with a beautiful volley, which did not stand due to offside. His curled, right-footed effort also went just wide early in the second half.

The 23-year-old has now scored 31 goals for PSG in the Champions League, surpassing Edinson Cavani’s record of 30 strikes to become the club’s new all-time leading scorer in the competition.

SUBSTITUTES

Hugo Ekitike: 6/10

Ekitike came on for Sarabia and was decent. He arrived way too late to be able to have any significant influence, with PSG seeming content with a draw.

Nordi Mukiele: N/A

Did not play enough to warrant a rating.

Fabian Ruiz: N/A

Did not play enough to warrant a rating.

Carlos Soler: N/A

Did not play enough to warrant a rating.