A week after dominating Rennes at the Parc des Princes (5-0), Paris Saint-Germain returned to Ligue 1 action on Saturday for Matchday 16 of the league at Metz. Despite a youthful starting line-up, Les Rouge et Bleu stayed true to form and suffocated Les Grenats, who were forced to suffer. After just over a quarter of an hour, Gonçalo Ramos was the first to threaten, heading a free kick from Vitinha, but his attempt was saved by Jonathan Fischer (17').
Fifteen minutes later, the Portuguese centre-forward tried again, this time from a cross by Lee Kang-In from the right, and he beat the Metz goalkeeper with an unstoppable header (0-1, 31'). It was a deserved opening goal for the Parisians, who doubled their lead less than ten minutes later when Ibrahim Mbaye made his mark on the left wing before crossing to Quentin Ndjantou, who scored from close range to earn his first professional goal (0-2, 39').
Luis Enrique's side's game plan was going perfectly, but Metz finally managed to get close to Matvey Safonov's goal and reduced the deficit with their only real chance, thanks to a powerful first-time shot from Jessy Deminguet under the bar (1-2, 42'). The home side had been under pressure, but managed to get back into the game. However, after the break, the capital club continued to put Metz's defence under pressure in a bid to restore their two-goal lead.
Although Fischer initially made a strong save against Gonçalo Ramos (52'), the Danish goalkeeper was powerless to stop the lightning counter-attack finished off by Désiré Doué, who came on at half-time and coolly beat the opposition keeper (1-3, 63'). With their backs against the wall, Metz continued to withstand Parisian attacks, with Ibrahim Mbaye showing his pace on the right side of the box before unleashing a snap shot from a tight angle that crashed off the crossbar (71').
The Grenats' defence stayed strong, and after a perfectly executed combination with captain Gauthier Hein, Giorgi Tsitaishvili cut inside and put the game back in the balance with a powerful right-footed strike (2-3, 81'). Despite the support of a reinvigorated Stade Saint-Symphorien, the Moselle side failed to equalise and it was Paris Saint-Germain who, at the end of a lively encounter, came out on top at the final whistle. An important victory, as it allows Les Rouge et Bleu to take top spot in the league ahead of Lens' match on Sunday.
