This Wednesday, Paris Saint-Germain faced Brest at the Parc des Princes as part of the Champions League 2024-2025 play-offs. After a match in which the Reds and Blues played and respected their opponents, they won 7-0 (video highlights PSG/Brest, 0-3 first leg and 10-0 aggregate). Here are our notes on the Parisians.
Goalkeeper –
Gianluigi Donnarumma (6) – A good first half for him, a save and a bit of luck at times. He wasn’t in too much danger, he just did his job. Even more impressive in the second half.
Defenders –
Achraf Hakimi (7) – A lot of activity in the first half, some unfortunate choices, but he did his job as always.
Marquinhos (8) – He set the tone, with a huge save, high, aggressive defending and a good first half. Very good in the second half too.
Willian Pacho (7) – Very solid in the first half and throughout the match. Replaced by Presnel Kimpembe in the 71st minute.
Nuno Mendes (7) – Interesting build-up play in the first half. His crosses were not very inspired. Scorer, present, his second half was very consistent.
Midfielders –
Joao Neves (8) – When he’s on the pitch, you can see the difference. He catches opponents in his web. What a player. Replaced by Senny Mayulu in the 71st minute.
Vitinha (8) – Another metronome role. It’s less striking, but just as important for the team and the collective. He improved almost every situation, with or without the ball. He scored and shone again throughout the match.
Fabian Ruiz (8) – Very good first half for him, clearly taking the game by the scruff of the neck, playing forward and scoring the first goal. A lot of activity on his part. Replaced by Lee Kang-in in the 60th minute.
Forwards –
Ousmane Dembélé (7) – A little less happy as a number 9, he often came out of his area and was very interesting in his percussion. Replaced by Gonçalo Ramos in the 60th minute.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (7) – He’s coming into his own, he’s lacking his bearings, but we can see how much he can contribute. His goal was quite liberating, as we saw with his celebration.
Bradley Barcola (8) – Poisonous when he decides to play fair. His goal was a mixture of technical waste and unstoppable pace. He was a real handful on his flank. Replaced by Désiré Doué in the 60th minute.
Coach –
Luis Enrique (9) – What can we say about his PSG in the first half? He conditioned the team to be a real burden on their opponents. Brest looked very much affected by the incessant pressure from the Parisian players. He wanted his team to be serious, and the message got through.
