As if nothing had happened, Paris Saint-Germain won in Nantes (2-0), Saturday February 17, during the 22nd day of Ligue 1, thanks in particular to a penalty from Kylian Mbappé, a few days later that the media revealed that the French striker had announced to PSG leaders his intention to leave the club at the end of the season.
There was no controversy or psychodrama for the “match after” this thunderous announcement – even if Mbappé’s departure has not yet been made official by any party – while number 7 of PSG started the meeting on the bench.
The decision of Parisian coach Luis Enrique not to field his top scorer from the outset fueled all the speculation: physical preservation while PSG sits quietly at the top of Ligue 1 − and more than ever after this success which allows the PSG to be 14 points ahead of runner-up Nice −, or message sent to Mbappé that “the team takes precedence over any individuality”, as the Spanish technician had said at a press conference?
“No problem” with Mbappé, for Luis Enrique
Luis Enrique, who this week refused to comment on the matter as long as no formalization was made on either side, worked to ensure that there was no dispute on the line between the player and the staff he manages. “With Mbappé, things are going very well, there is no problem,” he said on Canal. “After a complicated Champions League match, we tried to change the team, some had the opportunity to have more minutes,” added the coach who had in fact decided to put other starters among the replacements, including Dembélé and Hakimi.
If we except the first day of Ligue 1, during which the star was dismissed for not wanting to extend his contract beyond June 2024, it was only the third time this season that Mbappé was a substitute . The second time in a row, since last February 10, during the 21st day, he watched the entire victory of his team against Lille from the bench. But it was a matter of taking it easy before the crucial round of 16 first leg of the Champions League, won (2-0) on Wednesday against Real Sociedad.
Finally coming on in the 62nd minute on Saturday in Nantes, the French striker caused and converted a penalty fifteen minutes later, his 21st goal in Ligue 1 this season, displaying a broad smile and sharing his joy with his teammates, while he seemed sullen when he arrived at the stadium. Insatiable, Mbappé has scored at least one goal in the Parisian club’s last seven league trips.
PSG then led 2-0 but had struggled to achieve their vast domination over a valiant Nantes team lacking realism in the face of a concentrated and impeccable Gianluigi Donnarumma in the Parisian cages.
Defensively, the Canaries have long reduced Paris to an extremely sterile game where long sequences around the opposing surface ended with balls that were generally not very dangerous. A curled cross from Bradley Barcola, on which the Nantes goalkeeper, Remy Descamps, had to relax on his left (10th) and a bell ball, on the corner which followed, which had bounced off the top of the bar, had were the only slightly serious alerts of the first act, on the Parisian side.
Towards a twelfth French champion title
Conversely, Paris almost got punished several times just before the break. Lucas Hernandez had to throw himself at the feet of Douglas Augusto, six meters away, on a very nice serve from Jean-Charles Castelleto (45th). A few seconds later, following a disagreement with Danilo, Donnarumma, with the tip of his foot, prevented Mostafa Mohamed from scoring, before Marquinhos, on the line, diverted Nicolas Cozza’s rebound (45 1).
Returning from the locker room, Nicolas Pallois, huge in defense at 36, struck from more than 35 meters, forcing Donnarumma to slam the ball over his crossbar (54th) and the Italian goalkeeper was again decisive in the 70th minute in front of Mohamed, and in the 80th, by deflecting a shot from Chirivella, from close range, onto his post.
Previously, while Mbappé had finished his warm-up and was preparing to enter the field, it was a seemingly innocuous strike from Parisian defender Lucas Hernandez, deflected by Moussa Sissoko, which deceived Descamps (0-1, 60th) to break the yellow wall.
The entry into play of the Mbappé-Ousmane Dembélé duo revitalized the Parisian attack and allowed the club to secure a sixteenth victory in twenty-two championship matches. Without necessarily being brilliant, Paris came a little closer to a twelfth French champion title, after which Kylian Mbappé will be able to fly to other skies with the feeling of duty accomplished. At the national level anyway.