At Beaujoire,
72% ball possession for PSG. 16 shots, nine of which were on target. 642 successful passes against 206 on the Nantes side. Figures that speak, but which did not make the difference in this match between PSG and FC Nantes. Figures which also prove that the Parisians lacked a sharp edge at Beaujoire, facing Nantes residents who died of hunger. Because if FC Nantes was surgical in the first period, Paris lacked precision in the last gesture, against an Alban Lafont of the big nights.
Led 3-0 at half-time, the Parisians had a very difficult return to earth, after their victory against Real Madrid in the Champions League. A reference match for nothing? In any case, Pochettino could expect more from his family, especially with the long-awaited return of the Messi-Neymar-Mbappé trio. “We did some good things offensively. But there were a lot of mistakes in the game. It’s a shame that we didn’t know how to better control the transition phases, ”said Mauricio Pochettino.
The referee’s fault?
By itself, the first period of PSG illustrated the shortcomings of this team, too fragile defensively. It also lacked sharpness in front. In short, a shipwreck. Neymar’s completely missed penalty in the 2nd half further weakened the spirits of Parisians, who had barely taken their heads out of the water. And what about after the game? If the Parisian coach did not want to “put the blame on the referee”, Leonardo attacked the arbitration of Mr. Lesage. The sports director of PSG speaks of an “uncontrolled” arbitration, accusing him of not having “protected” his players. “We got into trouble with the referees,” complained midfielder Marco Verratti.
At La Beaujoire, PSG simply came across stronger than them, even if some very questionable decisions by Mr. Lesage (the non-expulsion of Appiah on the penalty missed by Neymar, the huge fault of Pallois on Mbappé which could have worth a straight red) clearly had their bearing on the storyline. Jostled in the game, the Parisian players conceded their second defeat in Ligue 1. Nothing to worry about, therefore, at the accounting level. But this defeat illustrated certain shortcomings in the Parisian collective, especially in the transition phases, where players like Kherer took the broth. An evening to forget for Mbappé and his family. But lessons to be learned.