This Sunday evening, Paris Saint-Germain won 2-1 against Saint-Etienne on Matchday 17 of Ligue 1 2024-2025 at the Parc des Princes. We take a look at some of the highlights and lowlights of the victory.
Tops –
Dembélé scores
His style has been sufficiently criticized when he doesn’t score, so there’s no need to be picky when he carries the team in terms of efficiency. Even so, he could have done better in a number of situations, but he opened the scoring with a fine strike that gave his team an almost definitive advantage, given Paris’s dominance in France.
Lucas Hernandez starts
It’s always good to see long-injured players back in action. If we’ve seen the player on the pitch recently, to see him starting, motivated and making an impact has a certain flavour. He’s almost like a recruit for the second half of the season. Let’s hope he doesn’t hurt himself again, we know he’s quite fragile and Luis Enrique managed it well by taking him off before the end.
Mayulu – A starting berth?
He was less good in the second half and that’s understandable. He’s just come back from injury and hasn’t played much. But his start to the game was very good and encouraging, both technically and in terms of his maturity. He’s not afraid, he hurts his opponents. A quality player for Luis Enrique.
Flops –
Efficiency
PSG have 4 expected goals, Saint-Etienne, 0.2 and the final score is 2-1. In the midst of all this, we can’t help thinking that the Parisian club really needs players who score goals. We can’t afford to miss so many chances every game. What’s more, it makes the media react, pushing their debates into murky waters. PSG won, dominated and weren’t really troubled, but the score is what it is. Luis Enrique still has work to do, and so does his team.
Approximations
On Saint-Etienne’s goal, Donnarumma misplaced the wall and was unbelievable. Nuno Mendes lost quite a few balls, Barcola missed the target several times, Dembélé aimed for the stars, Lee played towards the back. It all adds up to a mixed feeling. These are details, but in soccer, they count. PSG need to grow up, to be more “clunchy” if they want to raise their game.
