Paris Saint-Germain had to settle for a parity score in Monaco this Friday for the 23rd day of Ligue 1 (0-0).
The poster looked good. Three months after a meeting which had kept all its promises at the Parc des Princes (5-2), Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain met again for a top-of-the-table duel. A great classic between two strongholds of French football, imperfect in many respects since the start of 2024.
If the reigning champion remains on an incredible series of invincibility (19 matches without defeat in all competitions), the content offered by the gang to Luis Enrique can still be improved. This trip to the Rock seemed like an ideal test a few days before the second round against Real Sociedad, scheduled for Tuesday.
Mbappé out during the break
Opposite, the Principality club had the arguments in store to set a trap for the leader of Ligue 1, but this Monegasque team has been blowing hot and cold since the start of 2024. Find out which version of the ASM were we going to find was one of the first questions of this shock. The main one, however, focused on one man: Kylian Mbappé. For the Bondy prodigy, this trip to the Rock had a particular flavor since it could potentially be the last, in this garden which saw him hatch and shine like a shooting star.
Luis Enrique’s choices were therefore scrutinized, a week after Mbappé’s premature exit against Rennes (1-1). The French world champion was well established for this meeting. And he was still well muzzled. Often lonely on the front of the attack, surrounded in two-man attacks, Mbappé did not find the net, before leaving at the break, visibly without any physical discomfort, to go and sit in the stands after a rather lunar scene…
Jostled for a large part of the match, the Parisians produced an uneven performance during this final test. At the time of the accounts, they will be able to thank Donnarumma, author, once again, of an XXL copy. The Italian multiplied the class stops – in bulk against Balogun (4th), Minamino (15th), Akliouche (28th, 47th), or even Ben Yedder (43rd). But not everything was to be thrown away in the Parisian copy, either.
As surprising as it may seem, the version of the second half was much more consistent, which proves the clear choice of Luis Enrique. Barcola brought sparks, just like Dembélé a little later, and Kolo Muani could have played the hero with a little more promptness (64th). It remains to be seen what face the Parisians will show on Tuesday evening in San Sebastian. That of Kylian Mbappé did not seem disturbed that much.
