On Tuesday, Paris Saint-Germain faced Brest at the Stade du Roudourou as part of the first leg of the Champions League 2024-2025 play-offs. After a match in which the Red and Blues clearly didn’t play a great game, Luis Enrique’s men were very realistic and won 0-3 (video highlights Brest/PSG, return on Wednesday February 19). Here are our notes on the Parisians.
Goalkeeper –
Gianluigi Donnarumma (6) – A complicated first half for him on the ball. He threw the ball awkwardly to Ajorque and the goal was not far away. Nevertheless, he did a good job overall. He made some interesting saves in a match on a very complicated pitch, with a lot of rebounds.
Defenders –
Achraf Hakimi (6) – A decent first half, he wasn’t extraordinary, but ran well as usual. Could have scored an own goal. He didn’t shine as brightly as usual, although at this level it’s still very interesting.
Marquinhos (7) – A fine first half overall. In the second half, he was unstoppable on a number of occasions. A good game from him.
Willian Pacho (6) – He has real qualities, but he also has his problems, especially when he comes into contact high up the pitch. His comeback at the end of the first half shows that he’s not giving up. He remains solid though.
Nuno Mendes (5.5) – He tried to make a few small inroads, but his first half was timid. He was busy on his flank. Didn’t make much difference offensively, but cleared the ball a lot.
Midfielders –
Joao Neves (6.5) – He put in a good fight in the first half, but didn’t produce his best period in Paris. Overall, his work was very interesting. Technically, he’s good.
Vitinha (6.5) – Metronome in the first half, but struggled to control all his balls on a pitch unfit for a Champions League match. He calmly scored his goal from a fine penalty. He regulated the game and got the ball out perfectly. Less in the spotlight, he was nonetheless very good at undermining.
Fabian Ruiz (4) – Ran well, made calls, but his passes/breaks were still far too timid. Ruiz hides in this kind of match. He doesn’t come across as the leader he should be.
Forwards –
Désiré Doué (5.5) – A fine first half, he hurt his opponents. He’s coming into his own, even if he could have played a bit better. There’s no denying that he’s a real asset to this team. However, we also have to admit that he still needs to sharpen up, particularly in his decision-making. Replaced in the 67th minute by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Ousmane Dembélé (8) – Not in the limelight for much of the first half, he ended it with a goal from the right. There’s nothing to say, he’s scoring again and feeling confident. His second goal, both from the start and the finish, shows the change in direction he has taken in his game. Replaced in the 82nd minute by Gonçalo Ramos.
Bradley Barcola (6) – Available and mobile, but twice made poor choices in the first half. He should be able to do better, even if his first half performance was interesting overall. In the second half, he had his chances, but an offside flag and an over-hit shot prevented him from putting in a better overall performance. Replaced in the 75th minute by Lee Kang-in.
Coach –
Luis Enrique (6) – He’s the one who transformed this team from struggling scorers into a goal machine. Two in the first half was a great way to get his team off to a flying start in a Champions League play-off. That said, his team showed themselves to be flimsy at times, and it’s this too that he must quickly rectify.
In the end, what can I say, his PSG still scores a lot, win a lot and leave only crumbs. We’ll have to wait until the return leg to judge their Champions League ambitions, but we’re sure they’ll have to do even better in a week’s time, and in a possible 8th final.
