Ligue 1 – PSG – Angers: A penalty from Kylian Mbappé offers victory to PSG at the end of the match (2-1)

Paris disappointing, but Paris winning. PSG spent more than half an hour led to the score on their lawn by an ambitious and consistent Angers SCO team, just like their start to the season. In the absence of Lionel Messi and Neymar, Kylian Mbappé delivered an assist and scored from the penalty spot 3 minutes from the end to free his camp (2-1). Mauricio Pochettino’s men have long had the ball without doing much, and had difficulty channeling the fiery Angevin counter-attacks. Paris is avoiding a crisis but is not reassured, far from it.

From the kickoff, Angers gave the color: a clearance out of goal to press the Parisians as high as possible. If the PSG pierced the Angevin midfielder on his first action, it was not a harbinger of the match. The possession of the Parisian ball (73%) has long, not to say all the time, been sterile. Marco Verratti thought he had served Mauro Icardi on a plateau before the rescue of Pierrick Capelle in the area (17th). The only straightforward situation for the capital club in the first period. With Hakimi resting on the bench, PSG did not know how to stretch the Angers block across the board, nor to exploit the depth. Proof of this is with the many balloons touched by Mbappé, pushed to win from his advanced position.

First Parisian shot on target in the 68th minute

Quite the opposite of the SCO and Mohamed-Ali Cho. From the top of his 17 years, the Angevin sometimes stumbled on Presnel Kimpembe, precious on the cover. But he saved his team many yards, keeping the ball mature when needed. He is at the origin of the opening of the scoring, shifting Sofiane Boufal for a millimeter center at ground level. Behind Colin Dagba, Angelo Fulgini only had to finish close at the far post (36th, 0-1). A logical goal for a SCO who led 5 shots to 4 with the ball only 28% of the time. But a less obvious face after half-time: Gerald Baticle’s men remained solid and organized, without having the energy to alert Gianluigi Donnarumma again.

And the wall crumbled. Rafinha, surprise holder, was discreet, clumsy and harvested against goal (40th, 54th). Icardi, in his style, has been erased in tip, never found by Verratti or Mbappé. It is the latter who took matters in hand. First by the first Parisian shot on target, deflected by Paul Bernardoni (68th) Then by a perfect left-footed center for the head of Danilo (69th, 1-1), whose presence on the ground could question in a dominating PSG. Up to the Angers breaking point which will be debated. A recovery from Icardi’s off-target header was deflected by hand by Romain Thomas.

After consulting the VAR, PSG were awarded a penalty despite a probable fault by Icardi at the start of the action. Mbappé, he did not have these considerations in mind: a shot flush with the post (87th, 2-1) and the vice-champion of France avoided a small crisis, before a perilous reception of Leipzig in the League of champions then a trip to Marseille. The planets are not yet aligned for the PSG, they are even in a real mess. But with Neymar, Messi and company, there is hope to get back in battle order.