Football: a boosted evening for PSG and its recruits in an incandescent Parc des Princes
Parisians Achraf Hakimi, Georginio Wijnaldum, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos and Lionel Messi, at the Parc des Princes on August 14, 2021. AP - Francois Mori
Text by: Nicolas Bamba Follow
7 mins
Paris Saint-Germain presented its nuggets of the transfer window to its public, Saturday, August 14, in a Parc des Princes again filled after a year and a half of closed doors.
The neo-Parisians, Lionel Messi in the lead, were given a standing ovation, before a two-faced match between PSG Strasbourg (4-2).
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A Parc des Princes full of supporters, the image had been unseen for a year and a half.
Since February 29, 2020 exactly and a league match against Dijon (4-0).
It was the last meeting of PSG at home in a normal configuration before the Covid-19 crisis erupted.
Since then, there have been a lot of closed-door meetings and a few with a very small gauge.
532 days later, supporters with the
health pass
were able to return to the stands on Saturday.
A packed Park is quite unusual in the middle of August, for a championship match against Strasbourg.
Only here: on the one hand, it was therefore the reunion match, and on the other hand, it was the day of presentation of the golden recruits of the summer transfer window.
A great pleasure to see you again and hear at the Parc des Princes 📣❤️💙 # 𝗣𝗦𝗚𝗥𝗖𝗦𝗔
𝐈𝐂𝐈 𝐂'𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 pic.twitter.com/ggldJYoKIZ
- Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) August 14, 2021
"Paris is magic", chanted Leo Messi
An hour before kick-off, almost all the fans were already there to applaud the five players recruited since June. They first applauded
Achraf Hakimi
, the only man for whom Paris had to pay transfer fees. The Moroccan, who was trained at Real Madrid and played for Inter Milan last season, cost € 60m. And his profile has already seduced his world with a goal scored on the first day in Troyes. "
Here is Paris
", he chanted in unison with the Park.
Then, it was the Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum,
Liverpool hero in 2019
, who tumbled. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma,
winner of Euro 2021
and best player of the competition with Italy, followed him. His status will be one of the soap operas of the season, while Keylor Navas is still there and very good in the cage. Fans then welcomed
Sergio Ramos
, the Spanish defender from Real Madrid. And finally, they reserved the best ovation for the latest arrival.
Lionel Messi
, the six-time Ballon d'Or who made the headlines all week, received an ocean of applause, equivalent to that offered to Neymar four years ago.
The new darling was once again able to measure his popularity.
The former Barcelona greeted these thousands of supporters with a "
Paris is magic
" of good quality.
The Parc des Princes is excited to see him at work, the
one whose jersey is torn off in the capital
.
While waiting for the stars, Mbappé reduces the whistles
In lack of training and rhythm, Donnarumma and Messi did not participate in the meeting, like Ramos, recovering. Hakimi and Wijnaldum, they were well in the starting XI concocted by Mauricio Pochettino. Kylian Mbappé was also there. The striker also wiped whistles at the time of the presentation of the teams: his refusal to extend his contract in Paris for the moment (he will be free in June 2022) now annoys the supporters.
In the absence of Messi, Neymar and Angel Di Maria, also out of form after the Copa America, PSG's offensive line has been animated by those called to be second knives this season.
They took the opportunity to show themselves to their advantage.
The Argentinian Mauro Icardi opened the scoring very quickly with a header on a good serve from the Senegalese Abdou Diallo (3rd), and the German Julian Draxler was found by Kylian Mbappé for the goal of 3-0 (27th).
Just before, the Frenchman had broken, with a shot deflected by Ludovic Ajorque (25th).
Enough to silence the whistles, in short.
📸 A new celebration for @AchrafHakimi and @KMbappe 🧐 # PSGRCSA (3-2) pic.twitter.com/Wbr9LwREK2
- Ligue 1 Uber Eats (@ Ligue1UberEats) August 14, 2021
After the break, PSG rested on its laurels and got scared. Kevin Gameiro, recruited at the very beginning of the QSI era (2011-2013), perpetuated the tradition of “old-timers who score against Paris” (53rd). Ajorque sowed a little more doubt by allowing Racing to return to 3-2 (64th). But Pablo Sarabia, on a new assist from Kylian Mbappé, folded the case (86th).
The world at the Park, smiling and ambitious recruits, a rain of goals and a second victory which provisionally offers the club's leading position ... This is what is called a successful evening for PSG.
It deserved a communion between the players and the supporters after the final whistle.
Even if it will be in a few months, when the level will rise in the Champions League, that this luxury 2021-2022 PSG will be truly judged.
PSG players greeting their supporters at the Parc des Princes after the victory against Strasbourg (4-2), August 14, 2021. REUTERS - SARAH MEYSSONNIER
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