Although pressure continues to mount on Luis Enrique’s side amid their continental debacle this autumn, Paris Saint-Germain have remained unopposed in their Ligue 1 title defence. Saturday night’s reception of Nantes – on a four-match losing streak and winless since August – offered yet more domestic reprieve for the Parisians , not least with Gonçalo Ramos’ long-awaited return to the starting eleven after an extended injury absence.
The Portuguese striker wasted no time in demonstrating the frontline play that PSG missed during last few months, diverting Nuno Mendes’ cross for Achraf Hakimi to convert into an empty net at the back post after a minute of play. The hosts would be less effective in the following half-hour, with chances falling to Bradley Barcola, Kang-in Lee, and Vitinha.
Les Canaris eventually got their chance on the break, and Matthis Abline was able to beat Gianluigi Donnarumma after meandering his way past Willian Pacho with a couple of well-executed feints.
The second half would mostly follow the same pattern, with Antoine Kombouaré’s men successfully holding off the league leaders, in no small part thanks to a string of confident stops from Patrik Calgren. With the ever-authoritative Nicolas Pallois leading the backline, the visitors effectively prevented any PSG attacking from penetrating the penalty area.
The late substitutions would scarcely make any difference to the dynamic of the game, with the hosts’ possession largely limited to the periphery of the box. While Ousmane Dembélé’s introduction had little impact on the closing stages, Désiré Doué’s promising cameo may have earned him a more prominent role in next month’s fixtures.
While the two dropped points hardly dent PSG’s title charge, the fact that a full-strength cast was unable to break down the relegation battlers does point to issues that go beyond the team’s misfiring performances on the European stage. Luis Enrique’s second season is evidently not going to plan – and with an overall win rate of 63%, the Asturian holds the worst record among PSG coaches since tonight’s counterpart 13 years ago. For Nantes, meanwhile, a point against his former employers offers Kombouaré a lifeline ahead of next week’s Breton derby.
PSG player ratings
Gianluigi Donnarumma, 5
Achraf Hakimi, 6
Marquinhos, 4
Willian Pacho, 4 – Having been PSG’s standout defender since the start of the campaign – and arguably the signing of the season in Ligue 1 – the Ecuadorian was uncharacteristically beaten too easily by Abline for Nantes’ first-half equaliser.
Nuno Mendes, 6
Fabián Ruiz, 4
João Neves, 4 – Another summer signing who turned in an uncharacteristically sloppy performance against Les Canaris. The midfielder struggled to impose his usual creativity in midfield, losing the ball too easily and squandering his chances when he found himself higher up the pitch. Brought off by Luis Enrique for the final half hour, with Warren Zaïre-Emery coming on in his place.
Vitinha, 5
Kang-in Lee, 4
Gonçalo Ramos, 5 – On his first start since the summer, the Portuguese striker struggled to break free from a tenacious Nantes defence, although he did assist Achraf Hakimi’s opener. There were nevertheless signs of what Paris Saint-Germain had been sorely missing for the past few months – a clearly-designated number nine, capable of holding play up and making his presence felt in the box. His return to full match fitness could well be a turning point in the team’s season.
Bradley Barcola, 4 – The incisiveness that had made him Ligue 1’s standout player so far this season seems to have faded in the last few outings.
Selected Nantes player ratings
Patrik Calgren, 7 – Alban Lafont’s replacement made several impressive stops to keep Nantes afloat during PSG’s first-half stream of attacks. The Swede finished the match on an impressive nine saves, even if PSG rarely threatened from close range.
Nicolas Pallois, 8 – A typically commanding and rugged performance from the veteran, who promptly shut down any of the Parisian attempts to get near the Nantes goal – whether on the ground of in the air.
Moses Simon, 6
Matthis Abline, 7
GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin –
