Paris Saint-Germain beat Nantes 4-2 in a encounter that looked like it was going one way but in the end it wasn’t. A look back at the Parisians’ individual performance on a case-by-case basis.
Donnarumma: His mistake deducting Nantes points re-launched the game and the debate over his ability to establish himself over time as a strong point for his side. He is hardly better at striding a shot than Mollet that will turn into a second goal via a header from a corner kick that would hardly be attributed to him given its trajectory. As is often the case, he didn’t sink at all after that and hit a good second inning but the damage was already done.
Danielo: The right of the central defense of the three from Paris Saint-Germain, the Portuguese again ensured in this role. If he sometimes had little difficulty at first against his opponents, he did not yield in duels and was often victorious. Generally very clean in his tackles, he was also inspirational with the ball at his feet, especially under pressure on ball exits. And to add to this impressive record, an unstoppable header allowed his team to regain the lead.
Sergio Ramos: Placed once again in a libero role for a three-man defense that suited him much better, the Spaniard signed a new convincing game, although he was not called up overall. He still excels at defensive coverage and blocks most passes that come his way. With the ball, he was clean and occasionally tried to insert himself to bring in more.
Marquinhos: Again on the left flank, the Parisian defender never hesitated to take advantage of the freedom afforded by the three-man defense to insert himself offensively and push his action, with an uneven but not uninteresting result. Defensively, he was rarely called on at first before becoming solid at second. This role on the wing rather than a three-man center back seemed to suit him better.
Pichiappo He substituted him at the end of the match and signed for Ali from the start. If Galtier urged him not to take risks, he would not hesitate to break out of his defense a bit to direct the attack.
my client: On the right side, the Pistons have long seen attacks take place on the other side of the court, but nonetheless managed to take advantage of the rare chances they had. Pushing the defender 2-0 at fault or giving Messi several perfect calls the Argentine knows how to use for two great chances in the end. His runs without the ball were often more dangerous than his initiatives with it and his size on the side was notable. Defensively, he didn’t really suffer and signed a strong defensive comeback in the first half, confirming his ability to influence both sides of the field.
Soler He replaced him in his position after he went off through injury, as against Lille at the end of the match, and he rarely served offensively. Facing highly energetic winger Moses Simon, he did what he could at the start before refocusing.
Nuno Mendes: The young left press got off to a sensational start to the game, hurting Nantes on almost every shot of the ball, and was directly involved in the first two goals with two assists that wouldn’t count as decisive but are nonetheless damned. His attacking contribution was less noticeable after that, with Nantes blocking his lane, and the Portuguese also lacked precision over time. Defensively, he was still valuable with some lifesaving returns for his team. His great form is confirmed.
Zaire Emery: Positioned as a goalkeeper, the young Parisian midfielder gave a game far from center standards, although generally interesting. His method of defending by running forward rather than protecting his defense may have irked, but it wasn’t uninteresting for all that, preventing Nantes from getting ahead early in the game. With the ball, there were already three losses of the ball that caused counter-attacks, but that shouldn’t erase the few good rhythms forward. During the match, the young midfielder also alternated between periods when he was brilliant on the ball and periods when he was obliterated in front of his partners.
pimpili He replaced him at the end of the match and positioned himself on the right side to try and calm Simon’s will. He did a very good job and allowed himself to show himself offensively, with two good actions including the last goal from a good position.
Vitinya: He was positioned at right midfield as he is at Marseille, and clearly didn’t have the same impact as the previous week. Always quick to run to slip into available spaces even if it means regularly finding himself filling in for Messi in front of Messi, the young Portuguese has managed a few high-flying combinations with the Argentine but that haven’t yielded much. the end. His inability to bear weight in the final third was also an issue against a team opponent. However, he did have some good inspirations, like this long shot that would award a layup at the base of the third goal.
Fabian Ruiz: He largely confirmed his good performance in Marseille with another full match on both sides of the field, despite some mistakes. Altogether he produced quality defensive work, but was beaten back by Ganago in the corner as Nantes equalized. He was placed in front of the defense at the end of the match, but finished with a very strong performance including good directions which recall his sensational start to the match on serve with many good passes for Mendes or Mbappe. His ability to slip between Nantes lines and open breaches that his accomplices exploited often hurt him. At the end of the game, his ability to manage tempo and restart was invaluable.
Messi: After a very timid start to the match, the Argentine hurried and then signed a great game, and not only because he opened the scoring after a procedure he had initiated. Not all was well, because sometimes he looked too much for Mbappe or was sometimes denied the ball easily, but Messi was able to find his partners in good situations an incredible number of times. His assists to Mukele almost turned the game around, and if he sometimes tried too complicated things, his constant desire to advance towards the opponent’s goal by passing or driving made his team a world good. In Munich he will have to do more, inevitably, but he looked ready.
Mbappe: Before becoming the hero of the evening with a goal he scored after a pivotal sequence that he nevertheless did everything not to be this season, Mbappe’s match was not the most accomplished, at least by its standards. If he moved a lot and provoked well in the first period, the Frenchman lost attempts at the ball and was eventually gagged by Nantes. It was also on the other wing that he managed to cross for Danilo’s head. The captain passed at the end of the game, putting Nantes on a wire through his actions before finally breaking the Canaries one last time.
