Neymar scored and assisted on his return to the first XI as PSG held off Lorient for a hard bought 2-1 win on Sunday.
PSG failed to keep a sixth straight clean sheet away from home in Ligue 1 but came away with a hard-fought three points against Lorient.
Neymar returned to the starting lineup and opened the scoring for the visitors in the ninth minute. He particularly linked up well with Hugo Ekitike as the duo shone in Lionel Messi’s absence. PSG were the better side in the first half but failed to add to their goal tally.
It proved costly after the break as Terem Moffi equalised for Lorient, swinging the momentum in the home side’s favour. Moffi and Enzo Le Fee, who has emerged on the radars of several Premeir League clubs, seized the day and took the game to their illustrious opponents.
Moffi hit the bar in the 57th minute before Christophe Galtier decided to make changes. It helped Paris Saint-Germain get back in the game and also paved the way for their match-winner in the 81st minute.
FULL-TIME: FC Lorient 1-2 @PSG_English
⚽️ @neymarjr 9'
⚽️ @iamDaniloP 81'🟥🟦 #AllezParis pic.twitter.com/BIXGlzW8Vt
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) November 6, 2022
Neymar’s pinpoint delivery from the corner was met by Danilo Pereira, who headed in an unstoppable effort past Vito Mannone. It proved to be the difference between the two sides on the day, also extending PSG’s unbeaten streak.
For Lorient, it is now four Ligue 1 games without a win, including back-to-back losses for the first time in the league this season. They have had to buck the trend soon lest the good start to the season goes to waste. The Hard Tackle looks at how the PSG players fared on Sunday.
Gianluigi Donnarumma: 5.5/10
The Italian international failed to inspire much confidence and was easily beaten by Terem Moffi in the 53rd minute. Dnnarumma was once again beaten by the Nigerian in the 57th minute, but thankfully saw the ball come off the bar.
Sergio Ramos: 6/10
Ramos had an excellent opportunity to score in the first half after he got his head onto Kylian Mbappe’s cross. However, Vito Mannone saved well to keep the deficit at 1-0.
Marquinhos: 6/10
The Brazilian was alert and did well to distract Terem Moffi in the first half as the Lorient striker bore down on goal. It was enough to distract the 23-year-old as he sliced his shot wide.
Danilo Pereira: 7/10
The centre-back had a shot on goal blocked just before half-time and teed up Hugo Ekitike for a goalscoring opportunity. Unfortunately, the youngster missed, denying the defender an assist. Danilo Pereira was the difference maker in the 81st minute, thumping home an unstoppable header that secured his side the win.
🚨🚨 | Danilo Pereira donne la victoire au PSG, Neymar décisif !
Retour sur la victoire du #PSG face à Lorient 🔴🔵⤵️https://t.co/C9BoUTkQR5 pic.twitter.com/wh8FG21bXr
— Canal Supporters (@CanalSupporters) November 6, 2022
Achraf Hakimi: 6/10
The Moroccan defender made a few good runs up the wing and linked up well, particularly with Hugo Ekitike. However, Hakimi lacked the cutting edge in the final third and struggled to make a difference in the second half. He also earned himself a yellow card with a late tackle on Adil Aouchiche.
Marco Verratti: 6/10
The Italian was solid but struggled to keep an inspired Enzo Le Fee quiet on the day.
Vitinha: 5/10
The summer signing struggled to get going and struggled to keep the likes of Le Fee quiet. Lorient took the initiative in the second half, forcing Christophe Galtier to take the Portuguese star off after the hour mark.
Nuno Mendes: 5.5/10
The youngster continued from where he left off against Juventus and made an early darting run before crossing the ball to Neymar. The Brazilian failed to connect cleanly, and Yvon Mvogo saved comfortably. He regressed in the second half and was taken off for Juan Bernat as PSG chased the win.
Neymar: 7/10
The Brazilian did well to close down Mvogo in the leadup to the first goal and linked up well with Ekitike. He could have even had an assist or two had the PSG youngster taken his chances. Neymar continued to push in the second half despite Lorient seizing the initiative after the break.
The former Barcelona attacker was clutch in the dying minutes, providing a perfect delivery from an 81st-minute corner that saw Danilo Pereira thump the ball in for the winner.
Neymar hits 15 goals for the season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2QBPXHj23O
— GOAL (@goal) November 6, 2022
Hugo Ekitike: 6/10
The youngster had a spring in his step following his first goal for the club against Juventus in midweek. He laid off the assist for Neymar before missing a golden opportunity to score himself in the 32nd minute. Ekitike also forced a save off Mannone in the 42nd minute and saw another effort cleared off the line by Bonke Innocent mere minutes later. The youngster impressed but has some work to do before his game is refined. He was taken off for Carlos Soler late on as PSG sought to secure all three points.
Kylian Mbappe: 5/10
The Frenchman breezed in and out of the game, never quite finding his bearings upfront. He provided a good cross that Danilo failed to convert in the second half and struggled to make a difference in the second half. A truly forgettable outing out for the PSG ace. He looked unhappy at being taken off and headed straight down the tunnel.
SUBSTITUTES
Renato Sanches: 6/10
The Portuguese midfielder helped PSG regain control of the midfield and kept this simple. Not a bad option at all to bring off the bench to turn the tide.
Carlos Soler: N/A
The Spaniard replaced Ekitike as PSG sought a winner. There was little time for him to make a telling impact.
Juan Bernat: N/A
The Spaniard came on for Mendes as Galtier chased all three points.
Nordi Mukiele: N/A
The summer signing replaced game-winner Danilo Pereira in the 85th minute as PSG aimed to shut up shop.
Pablo Sarabia: N/A
The Spaniard was a late substitute for Mbappe and had little time to impress.
