Paris held by Lorient at Le Moustoir
Men's football•
Faced with a valiant Lorient side, Paris Saint-Germain failed to win for the second consecutive time in Brittany on Wednesday evening (1-1). Take a look back at a hard-fought match at Le Moustoir!
Just a few days after their resounding victory away to Brest (0-3), Paris Saint-Germain were back in Brittany and back in league action, this time at Le Moustoir. On the agenda: the Ligue 1 Matchday 10 fixture against Lorient, who were in the relegation play-off places before kick-off and determined to spoil the party.
Very quickly, Les Rouge et Bleu took control of the ball and set up camp in Lorient's half. However, faced with a well-organised Lorient side, who defended deep and with plenty of discipline, the capital club had to think outside the box to create chances. Active on the left wing, Nuno Mendes tried to make the difference with a direct free-kick (23'), before testing Yvon Mvogo in open play, the Parisian full-back drawing two saves from the home 'keeper (37').
Notably through youth academy graduates Ibrahim Mbaye and Quentin Ndjantou, Paris tried to make a difference by playing down the wings. But the former's shot did not surprise the opposing goalkeeper (43') and the latter's deflected cross ended up in the side netting (44'). After the break, the two young Parisians made way for Vitinha and João Neves, Luis Enrique deciding to inject more creativity into midfield.
These choices immediately paid off, as Désiré Doué was found on the right flank and delivered a magnificent pass to Nuno Mendes at the far post. Taking two touches, the Parisian No.25 broke down the Lorient defence and got the better of Mvogo (0-1, 49'). However, the joy was short-lived for Luis Enrique's men, who saw the Breton side equalise just moments later thanks to a crisp 20-metre strike from Igor Silva (1-1, 51'). It was back to square one for the Parisians, who set about attacking the opposition's goal once more.
Vitinha tried his luck with a volley, but his effort was saved by the Merlus goalkeeper (57'). Things didn't get any better for Les Rouge et Bleu, who saw Désiré Doué subbed off for Bradley Barcola on the hour-mark (60'). Nonetheless, Vitiniha proved inspired in the search for a second goal, picking out Senny Mayulu with a subtle lob. The Parisian No. 24 cut it back first time to Barcola, who had sensed an opportunity and forced the save from Mvogo (71').
The minutes ticked by, but Lorient's defence held firm. Paris began looking to long-range shots - and the accuracy of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who forced a fine save with a right-footed effort (89'). Les Rouge et Bleus pushed to break down their opponents until the very end, but Vitinha's attempt from the edge of the box went just the wrong side of the crossbar (90+8').
Held off by a stalwart home side, Paris Saint-Germain had to settle for a point at the Moustoir. Luis Enrique's players will be looking to bounce back this Saturday when they play host to Nice in the Ligue 1 Matchday 11 fixture at the Parc des Princes (17:00 CET).