Metz (AFP)
The Paris SG, diminished by the absence of its stars Neymar, Mbappé and Cavani, emerged victorious from the trap of Metz (2-0) with serious application, Friday opening the 4th day of Ligue 1. Perfect before the truce .
In September 2017 at St-Symphorien stadium, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar, for their first ensemble, had offered a festival full of promise (5-1). Two years later, young Marcin Bulka and Adil Aouchiche were launched in Moselle by PSG.
Coach Thomas Tuchel has already conceded that he has not mastered much in the end of August, between the avalanche of wounds that decimated his attack (Cavani, Mbappé and Draxler absent) and the melodrama around the transfer of "Ney" that never ends.
In Metz, before two weeks of international truce that will do a lot of good, the German has chosen to align a 19-year-old Polish goalkeeper in the place of Alphonse Areola to leave for Real Madrid, as well as a Titi 17 years without experience in L1, perhaps as an admission of his helplessness in the face of such a moving situation behind the scenes as in the field.
He even brought in Jesé, who had not played in the league since December 2016, instead of Eric Maxim Choup-Moting, touched on one knee. Angel Di Maria, who was holding a thigh, also came out at the end. When that does not ...
- Choupo-Moting scorer -
Tuchel will take a first breath of fresh air on September 3 in the morning, the day after the closing of the transfer window that will give a final point to the fate of his Brazilian N.10, and may bring him the porter or even the right side that he has been asking for several weeks.
This day will also be expected by Thomas Meunier, Layvin Kurzawa or Leandro Paredes, potential holders who have started on the bench again, and may ask questions about their future in the capital.
In the meantime, the bis version of PSG has earned three valuable points away - only his second victory over his last seven away games in the Championship - which allow him to pick up the leader Rennes before the weekend.
This success owes a lot to the very serious performance of his remaining managers, who have been very effective against Messins too technically limited to dream to the feat.
Di Maria converted a logical penalty (11th), not disturbed by the ball launched by the fans behind the goal. Marco Verratti, who formed an insurmountable duo in front of the defense with Idrissa Gueye, then offered a free-kick jewel for Choupo-Moting who doubled the lead setting (43 ').
- Interruption -
The muscular striker scored his third goal in two games, and proved, with his fighting and physical presence, that he could be useful to his team this season.
Even if they created very few opportunities (17, 66), Parisians conceded even fewer. Bulka, arrived free of Chelsea this summer, was little solicited, when Aouchiche, in support of "Choupo", was transparent: his first pass was intercepted by a Messin ...
If the two will not leave the sparkling memory of the association Mbappé-Neymar two years ago, this match will still keep a small place in the history of the club: for the first time, a meeting of the PSG has was interrupted three minutes by the referee, after the deployment of a banner deemed homophobic by Lorraine Ultras.
For Tuchel, who is waiting for the recovery of its stars, as for the League, targeted insults of the forums for two weeks, the international truce is timely.
© 2019 AFP