Achraf Hakimi is back. Plunged into a media torrent on February 26 when a 23-year-old young woman accused him of rape, the Madrid native is gradually moving towards a brighter future in the French capital. Tuesday evening, the Parisian full-back, credited with an 8 by the FM editorial team, confirmed his return to the forefront. Far from the turmoil, the one who had particularly disappointed at the end of the 2022-2023 financial year has, in fact, illustrated itself in the most beautiful way. At the origin of the action leading to the penalty then to the opening score of Kylian Mbappé and author of a little gem to complete the success of his team, the former Borussia Dortmund player did not miss his reunion with his old club.
A contribution in its corridor and in the middle…
Released and continuing his performances since the arrival of Luis Enrique on the Parisian bench, the 24-year-old Moroccan (64 caps, 8 goals) was simply everywhere. Renowned for his above-average athletic abilities, the former Inter player logically increased the number of races in his right lane. Serious in the face of the rare incursions of the Marsupials, he was especially decisive on the outskirts of the opposing surface. Involved in all the Parisian offensive movements, he notably served Vitinha shortly after the quarter of an hour of play but the latter finally found the BvB post (19th). Nothing to dampen the ardor of the 1m81 right-hander.
Returning from the locker room, Hakimi then proved – once again – his natural understanding with Ousmane Dembélé by sending him deep before seeing Niklas Süle commit the irreparable in his own area. Enough to silence the emerging criticisms of the end of last season? No. For this, the one who sees his contract run until June 2026 opted for a one-two-three in the German area, embellished with a subtle hook on Mats Hummels and an outside foot to deceive Gregor Kobel and thus complete the victory of his own. A flash of genius which does not, however, sum up the entirety of his performance… Called to evolve in a very central position, particularly in the offensive phase, Hakimi also distinguished himself by his omnipresence in the duel. And the numbers speak for themselves…
A connection already found with Ousmane Dembélé!
With 119 balls touched, 6 duels won out of 14 contested, 3 successful dribbles in as many attempts and 13 balls recovered (including 9 in the second), the Atlas Lions executive showed constant involvement. With this in mind, let’s also highlight his 20 successful defensive interventions, the highest total on his team. Enough to satisfy his coach, rave at the press conference. “He’s a top player, he brings a unique energy. He has things to improve and we will help him. It’s a pleasure to have a player with this quality, to see him evolve, who puts in so much effort. It appears in all important areas. He has all the characteristics, he has the peace to score and scored a superb goal.. Scorer against Olympique Lyonnais during the 4th day then decisive passer against OGC Nice despite his team’s defeat last weekend, Hakimi also benefits from a certain connection with Dembélé.
With the very eccentric position of the former Barcelona player, the number 2 of the capital club does not hesitate to rush into spaces and thus cause significant differences. “I get along very well with Ousmane Dembélé, we combined well”assured, in this capacity, the person concerned before returning to his performance in the mixed zone. “We have great players. We are better from a collective point of view. We all defend and attack, that’s what characterizes this new Paris Saint-Germain. The coach makes sure that I can attack and that I can stay inside. He gives me a lot of confidence. These three points are very important, it gives us confidence, we hope to continue like this. I don’t want to analyze my start to the season. I hope to continue to do my job well”. Confident and more fulfilled than ever in the City of Lights, Achraf Hakimi will now have to confirm over time. In the meantime, OM has been warned.
