Author: Serg Atrakhov, Barkha Roy
In the opening match of the season, the reigning French champions presented a “renewed team”. Messi went to Inter (Miami), Mbappe and Neymar were left off the list… Brazilian Makrinhos stayed on the bench, coming on as a substitute in the 82nd minute. But in the starting line-up, six newcomers made their debuts at once: Asensio, Ramos, Lee Kang In, Ugarte, Skrinyar and Luca Hernandez. The Parisians’ “new team” still looks very weak. If the club had been stronger in Lorient’s place, they would probably have taken not one but three points at the Parc des Princes.
But there was a classic situation here: the Lorient players are inferior in class to the PSG players, and the Parisians don’t understand each other well enough at the moment and only establish teamwork.
The search for playing connections is the reason why PSG have set a record in Ligue 1. For the first time in 17 seasons (that’s how many statistics are kept in this indicator), the team made more than 1000 passes in 90 minutes (1002). This achievement only confirms what we said earlier – the team is looking for “its game”. The match was therefore played with virtually no fouls. Not surprisingly, the referee didn’t show a single yellow card.
Yes, the PSG players shot at the visitors’ goal frequently (more than 20 times), but they only hit the target four times. The most dangerous moment, in the eighth minute, was created by Ramush – the goalkeeper saved his shot. Lorient never had a shot on goal in four of their attempts, but could have scored in the 42nd minute. Laurent Abergel intercepted the ball after a poor pass from Hernandez and hit the post.
In the second half, PSG showed more perseverance, but Luis Enrique’s team still had few clear chances. Lee Kang-In’s shot was blocked and Vitigny’s attempt narrowly missed the target. Substitute Fabian Ruiz came closest for PSG, but Lorient goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo stood firm and saved it from close range.
Note that Mbappe was in the stands along with PSG newcomer Ousmane Dembele. The top scorer in Ligue 1 last season is still in negotiations with the club to extend his contract. Mbappe isn’t opposed to playing for the Parisians next season, but he won’t be renewing his deal for a longer period. In order not to lose the player for free, PSG are ready to sell him this summer. The absence of Neymar and Verratti in the request confirms the rumors about their possible transition to Saudi Arabia.