PSG wins at the finish in Brest thanks to Mbappé

The game: 1-2

Three days after the disappointment against Bayern in the Champions League (0-2), the performance of the Parisians against Brest will not attenuate the spleen reigning within the club, but the essential is there: a victory (2-1). If Franck Honorat (43rd) had answered Carlos Soler (36th), a goal from Kylian Mbappé at the end of the game narrowly saved a sluggish PSG (90th + 1).

In the 4-4-2 set up by Christophe Galtier, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi immediately marked their desire to combine together by their proximity on the ground. Several times found in the heart of the game, the Argentinian spontaneously oriented his body to the left to find the club’s top scorer, sometimes excessively. After a scramble in the box, Carlos Soler got the first chance of the game by unleashing a powerful shot in the box. Yet masked by a forest of players, Bizot deflected the ball on his crossbar (11th).

If Mbappé missed the target for the first time against the Brest goalkeeper (26th), a long shot from him surprised the Dutch goalkeeper, who was forced to release the ball. More lively than his opponents, Soler tore himself away to follow in a timely manner and opened the scoring (1-0, 36th).

In the meantime, the locals had sent a first warning to a fragile Paris defense. It had also taken a big comeback from Sergio Ramos to remove the goal ball from Franck Honorat (25th). But it is the Brestois who hurt the Parisians. Well launched into space by Del Castillo, he carried the ball perfectly at the expense of a far too passive Timothée Pembélé. From the left, the striker, already a scorer last week, fired a shot under Donnaruma’s bar for the equalizer (1-1, 43rd).

A few minutes before scoring, Kylian Mbappé received a yellow card for a bad gesture on Haris Belkebla. (F. Faugere/The Team)

The second period gave way to an astonishing scenario. Between the 45th and 58th, PSG only had 27% possession against Brestois not known in the exercise (44% on average this season). Several times lacking success against Bizot (55th, 65th), Lionel Messi could have unblocked the situation with openings of which he has the secret, but Nuno Mendes also stumbled on the Brest goalkeeper (79th).

While the specter of a draw hovered over the Stade Francis-le-Blé, the Argentinian launched Mbappé from the limit of offside. This time, the French striker took all his time to eliminate Bizot and push the ball into the empty goal (2-1, 90th + 1). A few moments earlier, his altercation with Belkebla could have earned him a red card and testifies to the nervousness that reigns in the Parisian workforce. Proof that nothing was easy. This victory nevertheless gives Paris an 11-point lead over OM. Brest is 15th.

The player: even without shining, Mbappé has unblocked the situation

This is probably not his best performance of the season, nor the one that will make you forget his ghostly match in Munich. But the two actions of Kylian Mbappé were decisive for PSG. His repelled strike was the source of Soler’s goal, while his goal late in the game once again settled a badly started game.

25

Brest have not won any of their last 25 matches against Paris in official competition.