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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) returned to winning ways in Ligue 1 with a confident 2-0 victory over bottom-dwellers Angers at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night (11 January).
Goals from Hugo Ekitike and Lionel Messi either side of half-time ensured PSG’s 31st Ligue 1 home win on the trot. Courtesy of Lens’ 2-2 draw with Strasbourg on Wednesday, PSG now have a six-point lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table after 18 rounds of fixtures.
Eager to respond to their 3-1 defeat to Lens on matchday 17, PSG came charging out of the gates against Angers, taking only five minutes to draw first blood. Ekitike got on the end of Nordi Mukiele’s cross at the near post and put it beyond Angers stopper Paul Bernardoni.
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Twenty minutes later, Sergio Ramos came agonizingly close to doubling Les Parisiens’ lead, with the center-back superbly connecting to Lionel Messi’s freekick. Bernardoni, however, refused to be beaten for the second time in the first half and made a stunning diving save to keep Ramos at bay.
In the 58th minute, Neymar found Ekitike with a neat delivery from the left. The forward failed to get enough power behind his first effort but did well to have another go. Bernardoni, however, was untroubled and collected his strike without issues.
On the hour mark, Angers had their best chance of the match, with Abdallah Sima finding himself in acres of space on the right side of the PSG box. The Senegalese, however, failed to make the most of the opportunity and blazed his shot high and wide from close range.
Messi ultimately settled the game with a confident strike in the 72nd minute, rolling the ball calmly past a hapless Bernardoni.
It was not PSG’s best performance of the 2022-23 season, but there were plenty of positives to take away from the game. Here are five PSG players who stood out in their 2-0 win over Angers on Ligue 1 matchday 18:
#5 Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos started on the right side of PSG’s three-man backline on Wednesday night. The veteran central defender made vital interceptions, knocked the ball around with authority, and drew an excellent save from his diving header in the 25th minute.
On Ligue 1 matchday 18, Ramos made a clearance, blocked a shot, and made 13 recoveries. On the offensive front, he completed a cross, delivered five accurate long balls, and completed 118 passes (95.2% accuracy).
#4 Vitinha
In Marco Verratti’s absence, Vitinha operated as the controller in PSG’s midfield. The Portugal international dictated the game’s tempo with his short passes, sprayed long balls from deep, and rarely fumbled under pressure.
Over the course of the game, Vitinha completed a whopping 106 passes (96.4% accuracy), delivered four accurate long balls, and pulled off a dribble. He also won seven of nine duels, drew two fouls, made two interceptions, and attempted three tackles.
#3 Hugo Ekitike
With Kylian Mbappe rested, Hugo Ekitike got the opportunity to complete PSG’s attacking trident against Angers. The 20-year-old forward was nothing short of a livewire on the pitch, always looking for ways to hurt the opposition.
Ekitike got on the scoresheet just five minutes into the game and it was a well-taken goal as well. Ekitike came into the box from the right-inside channel and swiftly connected with Mukiele’s low cross at the near post. The goalkeeper watched helplessly as the ball nestled into the far corner.
Against Angers, Ekitike also completed a dribble, winning five ground duels and attempting three tackles.
#2 Lionel Messi
Playing his first match for PSG since winning the FIFA World Cup with Argentina in Qatar last month, Lionel Messi put in a decisive shift. The Argentine maverick was not at his sensational best against Angers but popped up with a nerve-calming goal in the 72nd minute.
Messi kicked off the move on the left-inside channel and passed it to Ramos, who, in turn, brought Ekitike into the fold. The forward squared it off to Mukiele on the edge of the box, who spotted Messi’s run down the middle and set him up with a perfectly-weighted pass. The Argentine's goal was initially ruled out for offside but a VAR check overturned the call.
The goal aside, Messi played a key pass, completed a dribble, created a big chance, won five ground duels, and drew three fouls.
#1 Nordi Mukiele
Filling in for Achraf Hakimi, right wing-back Nordi Mukiele delivered a performance to remember. The French defender worked hard, covering every blade of grass down the right flank. He also pushed forward whenever he got the chance and ended up assisting both of PSG’s goals against Angers.
In the fifth minute, Mukiele found Ekitike with a sumptuous low cross inside the Angers box, leading to a comfortable finish for the forward. Once again, in the 72nd minute, he played a cute little pass to Messi inside the area. The Argentina international applied a deft finish to seal the win for the Parisians.
On Wednesday night, Mukiele played two key passes, created two big chances, won both his aerial duels, and attempted two tackles.
