This Saturday, as part of Matchday 4 of Ligue 1 2024-2025, Paris Saint-Germain took on Brest at the Parc des Princes. After a match in which the Rouge et Bleu smothered the valiant Brest side, they won 3-1. Here are our notes on the Parisians.
Goalkeeper –
Gianluigi Donnarumma (6) – An uneventful first half, a few saves after. He didn’t save the penalty, but you can’t blame him. Brest had few chances.
Defenders –
Achraf Hakimi (7) – What activity again. He made a couple of high-level comebacks while still being very attacking. He missed the final touch in the first half, but it was clean. He was fouled a few times, which may have dented his physical strength, but he didn’t stop. Offensively and defensively, nothing scared him.
Skriniar (6) – A fairly good first half, without really being put in danger. He was very close to the defenders, which helped him to defend firmly. Quite serene, well protected by a hard-working midfield, he was interesting overall.
Lucas Beraldo (6) – Not a bad player, he had a good first half. Still makes too many unnecessary mistakes. He’s better in the middle of the defense, though, and it shows.
Nuno Mendes (6) – Guilty of giving away the penalty to Brest, he had some dazzling attacking moments. He’s an incredible player who needs to stay focused throughout a match. Replaced by Wilian Pacho in the 63rd minute.
Midfielders –
Fabian Ruiz (6) – Quite transparent in the first half. He’s still struggling to be very visible in all phases of the game. He’s still lacking something in this midfield. His fine goal changes the feeling about his game.
Joao Neves (6) – Mixed first half. He was moved around. Nevertheless, he showed faultless activity and was in the right place at the right time. Interestingly moved to the left at times. Replaced by Senny Mayulu in the 80th minute.
Lee Kang-in (6.5) – Combined well offensively. He just lacks the physicality to make more of a difference. We still regret that he doesn’t take enough risks. He rotates well and loses the ball very little, but needs to become more of an attacking spark.
Forwards –
Ousmane Dembélé (8) – A huge first half, a goal and a header to boot, he really hurt Brest with a number of chances. He tried his luck a lot. He hurt the keeper and was rewarded with another late goal. This season, he’s looking meaner and more egotistical. It’s a good thing for Paris. Replaced by Ibrahim Mbaye in the 80th minute.
Marco Asensio (7) – A really fine footballer. He had chances, but didn’t make the best choices. Still, he was invaluable, as we saw when he crossed for Dembélé. Luis Enrique manages him well.
He needs to finish his actions better, but in the game, he’s taking his foot off the pedal, making calls, which is a change from other profiles in previous years. Replaced by Randal Kolo Muani in the 71st minute.
Bradley Barcola (4) – Missed his first half, always a step behind or almost. Didn’t really get into his stride in the second half either. Replaced in the 63rd minute by Désiré Doué.
Coach –
Luis Enrique (7.5) – A fairly classic line-up, with the South American internationals on the bench. He omitted Désiré Doué, preferring Lee. For the rest, his composition was coherent and his calm in the first half showed his players not to panic after the goal.
He often applauded his players, to motivate them, particularly after the pressing phases. PSG owes him a great deal for the way they have managed their squad and for their confidence at the start of the season. And all without Vitinha, Zaïre-Emery and Marquinhos in particular.
