Toulouse-PSG (0-3): Paris is back on track
There were two PSGs, one before Neymar opened the scoring and another after. The one after is known, seen since the start of the season with supersonic sequences, a moving technique still as staggering, logically leading to the second goal, by Kylian Mbappé, served by Leo Messi, himself launched in depth by Marco Verratti. Then to the third, from the ghost Juan Bernat.
But it is the one before the goal of the Brazilian who questions. For more than thirty minutes, PSG seemed to retreat, after the first flamboyant days and the noticeable stoppage against Monaco (1-1) at the Parc last Sunday. Yes, PSG gave the impression of being in the run-in, with a purely axial game, almost in the funnel, where the opponents understood that it was necessary to reimburse themselves. Add the three attackers who do not defend, a very high Vitinha, and Christophe Galtier’s team split open when they lost the ball.
The consequences will remain minimal, with Thijs Dallinga stumbling twice over Gianluigi Donnarumma, more inspired than the Toulouse striker. But this fragility of the team block worries because it seems prohibitive in the Champions League, almost suicidal. Impossible to go far like this with a formation split in two, defenders defeated since they were left to their own devices. It was therefore only the TFC in front and, with Juventus, victorious over La Spezia (2-0) at the same time, the damage would have been considerable.
No goal conceded for the first time in L1
Less than a week away from its European shock, Paris does not appear a little more solid and collective every day. In general, with PSG, none of the above is a sign of what’s next, so maybe everything is still going well in Paris. But this season being intended, a form of different improvement or continuity in the first games would undoubtedly have been more reassuring.
Beyond Juve themselves, this Paris does not indicate the idea that it is ready, stepping on it in front sometimes before the combinations become bright, not really exploiting the width, and offering too many catches to its fighters, from Lille to Toulouse via Monaco. Obviously, Paris is playing much better than last season, the style is light years away from the PSG flat encephalogram of Mauricio Pochettino but it lacks marrow and aggressiveness, which tends to confirm its recruitment of technicians.
In the meantime, Paris reaps without taking but for the first time since the opening of the season in Clermont, turns a little, with three changes at the kickoff compared to Monaco (Danilo ax left; return of Vitinha in the middle; Nordi Mukiele in place of Achraf Hakimi in piston), consolidates his position as leader and crosses his fingers for recruiter Milan Skriniar this Thursday.
Danilo Pereira’s match in central defense reminds us that the arrival of a great player in this sector is necessary and essential to stick to ambitions. There is what Paris does not do enough together and what Parisians do not give individually. It’s not a team yet.