ASSE-PSG
1-1
The Greens start the year 2021 as they finished the year 2020. There is perhaps less frustration after the new draw obtained against PSG (1-1), Wednesday evening, than that in Monaco (2- 2) and even Nîmes (2-2), three days earlier. Claude Puel’s players can be proud of having stood up to the defending French champion and finalist of the last Champions League, and this point taken where many other teams will end up empty-handed could count at the end of the season.
In line with their unbeaten streak now extended to seven games (one win, six draws), ASSE showed great selflessness to prevent Mauricio Pochettino from making his debut on the Paris bench. Courageous defensively, the Stéphanois, carried by an imperial Harold Moukoudi and a Panagiotis Retsos back after more than two months of injury, were even logically rewarded for their good start to the match.
All-terrain pressing paid off when Zaydou Youssouf forced Idrissa Gueye to fault in front of his penalty area, Romain Hamouma converting the offering of Denis Bouanga (1-0, 19th) to afford his fourth goal of the season . The Greens may regret having lasted only three short minutes, Moise Kean closely equalizing on a serve from Marco Verratti still omnipresent and very easy (1-1, 22 ‘).
Moulin and Navas pulled out all the stops
Deprived of nine elements including Neymar, the players of the capital have, as often, had the ball without really dominating the head and shoulders the game. Like the Coupe de France final in July, it still took a great Jessy Moulin. The Saint Etienne goalkeeper, often under fire from critics, saved his team by pulling out all the stops ahead of Moise Kean (10th), Marquinhos (12th) and Angel Di Maria (76th). Kylian Mbappé, he was muzzled and the Loire midfielder without Mahdi Camara and Yvan Neyou, suspended, went the distance with a Lucas Gourna (17) very promising.
His pressing, especially in the first period, greatly hampered PSG. But the offensive evils of the Greens are still there. Several times, they mismanaged counters (6th, 40th, 49th) and also came across an excellent Kaylor Navas (9th, 43rd, 65th), even a bit lucky on the head of Denis Bouanga pushed back by the bar (69th) . Still fourteenth, Claude Puel and his gang will have to show the same state of mind on Saturday (9 pm) in Reims (15th). With the same defensive strength and that bit of success on top of that. An eternal refrain.