A predictably one-sided first half saw the hosts create the majority of their chances from wide, as Bradley Barcola and Randal Kolo Muani beat their defenders with some incisive play. They were unable to find a stranded Kylian Mbappé in the middle, though. The birthday boy was instead left to chase hopeful balls over the top, none of which had led to a clear-cut chance. 

The second half saw Luis Enrique’s men spring into action. Vitinha would open the scoring within minutes of the restart, meeting a Kang-in Lee cross with a first-time finish, virtually from the penalty spot – already the Portuguese midfielder’s fifth goal of the campaign, after scoring twice in his first season in Paris.

With his positioning as a centre-forward has produced mixed results, it was no surprise to see Mbappé double the lead once he drifted towards the left wing. The France captain scored his 17th of the league campaign with an emphatic effort, swung over Alexandre Oukidja and into the top corner from the edge of the box. A fitting strike to celebrate his 25th birthday.

The match wasn’t without a late scare for the league leaders, though, as the promoted side’s captain Matthieu Udol saw his header go in off the post to pull one back with 20 minutes remaining. Mbappé would eventually lay any doubts to rest ten minutes later, though as he latched onto a wayward backpass and rounded Oukidja before finishing into an empty net. A timely goal, given that PSG’s immediate rivals had all taken the lead in their respective games of the matchday 17 multiplex.

Mbappé’s second had lifted the pressure, and the final few minutes even saw his younger brother Ethan come on to make his senior debut – to the delight of the Parc des Princes, who cheered his every touch. The hosts finish the first half of the campaign five points clear of Nice and with a favourable Champions League knockout tie on the way – but Luis Enrique still has several tactical puzzles to solve this winter.

Paris Saint-Germain player ratings

Gianluigi Donnarumma, 6

Marquinhos, 6

Danilo Pereira, 7 – An authoritative performance from the Portuguese defender, who swept away some potential Metz attacks at the very start of the game to set the tone.

Milan Škriniar, 6 – An assured display, albeit with little to do. Replaced by Lucas Hernandez on the hour mark.

Warren Zaïre-Emery, 6

Manuel Ugarte, 5

Vitinha, 7 – Arguably PSG’s best player of the half-season, after Mbappé. The Portuguese midfielder is a driving force in midfield and already has five goals in the league this season.

Kang-in Lee, 6 – After a poor spell of form of late, the South Korean was able to put on a more confident display – it was his pin-point cross that allowed Vitinha to score the opener.

Bradley Barcola, 6 – The summer signing continued his impressive resurgence, bouncing back after a barrage of criticism for his misses against Newcastle last month. Consistently beat defenders down the left, although the end product was lacking – he could rarely find Mbappé in the middle.

Kylian Mbappé, 7 – After a quiet first half, the birthday boy burst into life in the second half – once he began to drift to the left more often. A sensational strike for his first, and some good anticipation to latch onto a loose pass for his second. With 18 goals in 16 appearances, the France captain is head and shoulders above the domestic competition.

Randal Kolo Muani, 4 – Started on the right wing as a result of Ousmane Dembélé’s hamstring injury, but had little impact – completed just one dribble and lost the ball 12 times. Replaced by Marco Asensio just before the hour mark.

Metz player ratings

Alexandre Oukidja, 4

Joseph N’duquidi, 4

Ismaël Traoré, 4

Christophe Hérelle, 4

Matthieu Udol, 6 – The captain did well to break free of his marker to head in the goal that gave his team a lifeline, but from a defensive standpoint there was little he could do to stop the onslaught of PSG attacks after the break.

Habib Maïga, 6

Kévin N’Doram, 5

Danley Jean-Jacques, 4

Kévin Van Den Kerkhof, 6

Joel Asoro, 4

Cheikh Sabaly, 4

Sandrine Soubeyrand’s were firmly in control within the first ten minutes, thanks to a quick-fire double of goals from Julie Dufour, and then captain Gaëtane Thiney.

The visitors would dominate possession for the rest of the first half, but would struggle to create any clear-cut chances. An Olga Carmona penalty was turned away by Chiamake Nnadozie, after the Nigerian goalkeeper had parried a low effort from Athenea Del Castillo after the midfielder had driven into the box.

Caroline Møller would pull one back shortly after the break, turning in from close range at the back post after a cross from Hayley Raso. Despite several waves of attacks from the Spaniards – Paris FC appeared content to sit back and try their luck on the break – there would be no equaliser, Zornoza coming closest by hitting the bar. 

Although the match was not part of the club’s recently-introduced free tickets scheme – which only covers the men’s and women’s league games – the blockbuster fixture against European royalty attracted no less than 10,693 spectactors. 

During the post-match celebrations in front the fans, Thiney took to the microphone to call for a similarly impressive turnout and festive atmosphere for their next game on Sunday evening – a derby clash against cross-town rivals Paris Saint-Germain. 

The visitors, meanwhile were in the early stages of a mid-season revival under newly-arrived manager Jocelyn Gourvennec – the former Bordeaux and Lille manager had already ended Nice’s unbeaten start to the campaign in his first match in charge last week.

Predictably enough, the hosts dominated the early exchanges – Bradley Barcola playing incisively, as he looked to make amends for his miss-strewn performance against Newcastle. The compact Nantes lines held out, though, with the league leaders barely carving out a single clear-cut chance – making for a decidedly tame first half.

PSG eventually broke through just before the break, as Barcola played a one-two with Vitinha, breaking away down the left before curling it inside the far post. A goal reminiscent of his strike partner’s trademark finishes.

But Luis Enrique’s men were not afforded the straightforward evening they would have hoped for before heading out to Germany, as Mostafa Mohamed headed it in from a Florent Mollet corner shortly before the hour mark.

As was the case in the first half, the hosts then struggled to pull apart the Nantes defence, with Barcola’s darting runs down the left the only time that Les Canaris looked potentially destabilised. The breakthrough would eventually come from his direct replacement, as Randal Kolo Muani turned in from close range after a goalmouth scramble from a free-kick. The French international, who had only come on five minutes beforehand, did not celebrate against his formative club.

Jocelyn Gourvennec’s resilient Nantes side would, in the end, pose a worthy pre-Europe challenge to the league leaders. While Mbappé was kept mostly quiet, two much-criticised summer signings in Barcola and Kolo Muani proved to be the matchwinners. Hardly a convincing showing – although neither was Dortmund’s against Leipzig earlier on – but PSG did just about enough to secure an eighth consecutive league win.

PSG player ratings

Arnau Tenas, 6 – Deputising for the suspended Gianluigi Donnarumma, the Catalan was rarely tested, but managed to keep out a late flurry of Nantes chances – the equalising header was beyond his reach.

Achraf Hakimi, 5

Danilo Pereira, 6

Marquinhos, 6 – On his return from injury, the captain put in an assured performance. Replaced by Milan Škriniar on the hour mark.

Lucas Hernandez, 5

Carlos Soler, 6

Manuel Ugarte, 4 – The Uruguayan has struggled to continue his impressive start to the campaign, and has been somewhat hesitant and error-prone of late – he lost six duels tonight before being replaced by the returning Warren Zaïre-Emery with thirty minutes to go.

Vitinha, 5

Kang-in Lee, 6

Kylian Mbappé, 5 – Spearheaded the attack in his new central role but – as has been the case with PSG’s other number nines – did not get much service, and was at his most effective when drifting wide.

Bradley Barcola, 7 – The much-maligned summer signing finally announced himself to his new fans – after a barrage of criticisms for his misses against Newcastle, the former Lyon man scored his first goal for the club, and was at his incisive best down the left wing. Replaced by Randal Kolo Muani, who made an instant impact by scoring the winner from close range.

Nantes player ratings

Alban Lafont, 5

Marcus Coco, 4

Eray Cömert, 5

Jean-Charles Castelletto, 5

Jean-Kévin Duverne, 4

Douglas Augusto, 6

Samuel Moutoussamy, 4

Florent Mollet, 6

Moussa Sissoko, 5

Moses Simon, 6 – The Nigerian managed to slalom past defenders and break through several times – but was never able to find a teammate in the box to make the chance count.  

Mostafa Mohamed, 5 – Had little to work with in the first half, but a well-taken header in the second drew the visitors level. Struggled to link up with his teammates in open play, but did keep the PSG defence busy.

In his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon, Luis Enrique indicated that there could be some rotation in the team that welcomes Les Canaris to the Parc des Princes on Saturday. The Spaniard is nevertheless wary of the threat posed by a revitalised Nantes team, a week after Jocelyn Gourvennec’s first match in charge saw them put an end to Nice’s unbeaten start to the campaign.

“Teams tend to switch things up against us. Tomorrow’s game could end up being more open, but it doesn’t change our objective at all. We have to be ready to go up against any system, whether that’s with more or less pressure. It’s important for us to put in a good performance at home, make the difference up front and play at a high level in order to prepare for the Dortmund match.”

The head coach also confirmed that captain Marquinhos and teenage midfielder Warren-Zaïre-Emery would both be available for selection again after injury absences.

On recent suggestions that Kylian Mbappé could make a long-term switch to a central forward role, Luis Enrique indicated that the France captain had “complete freedom” in the PSG attack. “He has some defensive duties, like all players, but he has freedom to go on the wing, up front, or as a false nine. He played the last game [against Le Havre] as he did the others before that.”

The forward is currently the league’s top scorer – an title now honoured with a badge worn on each matchday – with 15 strikes, 8 clear of Montpellier’s Akor Adams in second place.

Get French Football News recently caught up with the 34-year-old again to discuss the work he has carried out as an ambassador for the UN’s World Food Programme, the short-term prospects for the DRC national team ahead of next year’s AFCON, and the advice he would give to current players on finding their way after retirement:

When we last spoke more than three years ago, you were playing at El Paso in the USA – a lot has happened since then. Could you first talk us through what led you to setting up your foundation, Banazola?

It’s a charity that I founded with my wife, which looks to help the children of Congo. It’s really the product of our own personal backgrounds – my wife’s father was a humanitarian worker and she lost her parents at quite a young age, so that’s something which motivated her. And then there’s my own story, from my time in the Monaco academy to seeing the youth of Congo. There are a lot of elements which made us think that we should help out, and create Banazola.

The objective is to set up social assistance for children in Congo, and we use sport as a tool for that. We realised that the fact that I’m a former DRC national team player gave us a certain credibility in terms of raising awareness and having more of an impact and having a presence in the media.

We’ve been working on it for two years now, and it’s going well. What started it all was when we renovated a school in Kinshasa – I was still playing in the USA at the time, it was my wife who went out to Congo and we coordinated everything with the teams who were on site. Everything developed from that.

We also help out orphanages, we work with a paediatric unit in Kinshasa, and most of all we carry out awareness campaigns – via football – on different topics. We do these with our partners, for example with the World Food Programme. Step by step, we’re developing it and also learning ourselves.

Is food insecurity a particularly important topic for the foundation?

We’ve been working with the WFP for a year now, and seven months ago I was named an ambassador for it. So it’s often a topic when we carry out initiatives with them, but at its heart Banazola is really about issues surrounding children in general. Since the WFP looks to help children in terms of food insecurity, we have the same vision in that sense.

What kind of specific initiatives do you carry out in that role?

I work on an initiative which focuses on providing school meals. So the objective is to build as many canteens as possible in schools across the DRC, and to raise awareness among children of the importance of a healthy diet. 

What are the long-term goals of the foundation, how do you see it developing?

The aim would be to go on and build emergency shelter homes and infrastructure for vulnerable children.

Whether it’s through Banazola or the WFP, I often use the network of contacts I’ve built up through football. Monaco have been with us since we started Banazola – when I came back from the USA, I showed them what I was working on, and they supported us. Last year, they provided help when we organised a tournament in partnership with the WFP centred around sport and nutrition. Recently we had the idea of playing a match in a refugee camp in Goma [in war-torn eastern Congo], and they also supported us. We set off two months ago, and we managed to set it all up, even though it wasn’t easy. 

I think it’s a good thing for our own exposure and for them as well. It also allows us to send out a message to other retired athletes, who might be thinking of doing something themselves, that you should look to help out however you can, with your means. That’s another aim – to position ourselves as a model for former teammates to go out and get involved.

So you’d also like to encourage other ex-pros to carry out these kinds of initiatives?

If they want to, of course. But for those who are interested, they should go for it. During your playing career, you develop a lot of skills, but it’s difficult to transfer them elsewhere after you retire, in the real world. So I’d really like to encourage my former teammates to get out there and get started.

Did your time playing in America shape your decision in any way?

I would even say it was fundamental. Over there, you really have this community spirit, this anglophone self-starter mindset. When I was over there, after training my teammates would never be lying around, nobody would be going for a nap! Some would be taking online courses, another one was writing a book, someone else was setting up his clothing brand, doing coaching… 

So I got myself into that mindset. Seeing as my wife and I had been discussing this project in the five or six years before that, the planets aligned and we decided to go for it. I’d say my time in the USA was decisive. 

So it was a formative time for you, on and off the pitch

My first year at El Paso went well, I had a lot of playing time. But towards the end of the season, I had to leave the club, and I had a few offers. When Charlotte came up, we made the decision to go there straight away. Over there, I didn’t get the playing time that I’d have wanted, but off the pitch is where things really developed. The club even supported me when I launched my foundation. It’s kind of contradictory, because I wasn’t playing a lot, but they supported me and were behind me, and I think that’s amazing. 

In France, when you’re not playing, you’re often cast aside, in a way. You kind of become the person to avoid. In America, they know how to dissociate performances and personal life. So that was very important for me.

You can go knock on the CEO’s door, and he’ll listen to you, regardless of whether you’re playing or not. In France, that could be difficult. It’s really a case of different mentalities.

I’m not saying this to put France down, but just to show the difference in mentalities from one continent to the other. Over there, there’s really this spirit of wanting to give back to the community. You can see it in the initiatives the players carry out, whether it’s hospital visits or helping out the less fortunate. You have celebrations within the club for festivities like Thanksgiving.

Is that the kind of mentality you want to transmit to your colleagues, then?

Of course. It can be hard to bounce back after the end of your playing career. If you’re already getting involved during your career, making yourself busy and putting some ideas together, it won’t be as difficult after you retire. In France, we’re told to think about what we’ll be doing after our playing careers, but we’re not necessarily being given all the tools to do that.

It would be good to explore other interests – reading, going to museums, creating something. In France, you train, you nap, you train, you nap – and in the end, you’re not actually doing anything. In the USA, you can do what you want, as long as you perform on matchdays.

There’s a lot of potential. Obviously, if you’re playing every three days, it can be difficult to think about other stuff. But I think that it’s important for a professional footballer to develop themselves during their career, to explore other interests. That’s the advice I would give to young players.

I was able to get started while I was still playing, and it’s something which helped me a lot. It opened a lot of doors for me. You also don’t necessarily need to have had the best of careers to make an impact. Some might think that they weren’t necessarily high-profile in their playing days, so they’ll keep to themselves at the end of their careers. They think that they wouldn’t be effective because of that, but in reality that’s not necessarily true.

To finish on some football – what do you make of The Leopards’ chances at January’s AFCON?

It’s funny how there’s so much going on after my retirement that we’re only getting to football now! I’d say it’s still a part of my life, but I try to “serve” football off the pitch now.

A lot of people tell me that I’m young, that I could still be playing – of course I could, but it’s not what I want. Even before doing all of this, I didn’t see myself pushing on and playing lower down the divisions. These days, I’m happy because I can spend time with my wife and my three children. Being an elite athlete requires a lot, and sometimes that can make you selfish in terms of focusing on giving it your all on the pitch. Now, even if I’m doing well in other areas, I still have time for my family, and that’s important for me. I do still like football, though!

I think DRC have a good chance. Since the new coach [Sébastien Desabre] arrived, and the normalisation committee [appointed by FIFA to run the scandal-riddled FA] results have been positive.

The team has a real backbone, with players like Chancel Mbemba, Arthur Masuaku, Samuel Moutoussamy, Yoane Wissa, and Cédric Bakambu. We know that a lot of things need to be put in place to have a shot at being champions, but I think we have every chance of going all the way. We’ll need to take it step by step and get past the first round – after that, it becomes a whole different tournament, and anything can happen.

After equalising through a long-range effort from Youssouf Fofana, Didier Deschamps men came within inches of clinching a late win, as Kingsley Coman broke through down the right and sent in a cross. The effort would deflect off Greek defender Zeca onto the post, before hitting the opposite upright as well. Replays would show that the ball appeared to cross the line on its way to other post, before swerving back into the field of play.

Speaking to TF1 in the aftermatch, vice-captain Antoine Griezmann – who was skipper for most of the evening in Kylian Mbappé’s absence – expressed his frustration at the absence of goal-line technology for the fixture. The midfielder goes as far as taking direct aim at UEFA, calling for the sport’s continental governing body to increase the use of technology in matches:

“Goal-line technology is what was missing! UEFA has a lot of money and they can’t manage to put everything in place for us to know whether it’s a goal or not. We have to ask a bit more of UEFA – if they want us to be playing lots of games, we need to ask them for more technology.”

GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin

The hosts were able to play out from the back relatively comfortably despite France’s high press, and posed a consistent attacking threat – Fotis Ioannidis’ rugged battle with William Saliba at the centre of it all. The midfield trio of Antoine Griezmann, Youssouf Fofana and Adrien Rabiot 

For most of the first half, virtually every one of France’s chances were crafted by the omnipresent Griezmann. It was another veteran who would eventually set up the opener, though, as Youssouf Fofana found Olivier Giroud, before the Milan forward played Randal Kolo Muani through with a trademark first-time layoff. The Paris Saint-Germain man would chest the ball down, before emphatically finding the roof of the net from a tight angle. Nearly a year on from opening his account against Morocco in the World Cup semi-final, Kolo Muani finally had his second goal for France.

The constant pressure from the Greek forward line would pay off in the second half, as Lucas Hernandez saw a clearance charged down, and the hosts flooded forward. After several shots from range were blocked and sent back to the attackers, it was the captain Anastasios Bakasetas who would eventually finish off the move with a devastating volley into the bottom corner. 

Les Bleus would concede again within minutes, as Giannoulis breezed past Jules Koundé down the left with a nutmeg before squaring it for Ioannidis to put the hosts in front with a close-range finish. Didier Deschamps had seen enough – with half an hour to go, Kylian Mbappé was introduced to the game, along with Jonathan Clauss and Kingsley Coman.

With the Greeks looking to sit back and hold their lead, the final half hour looked set to be a grind for France to find an equaliser – until Youssouf Fofana unleashed another shot from range, this time dipping just in time to find the net. The final exchanges would see a more incisive France side come to the fore, as the substitutes made the most of the home defence’s weariness. Kingsley Coman would come closest to clinching the win, with an cross that deflected onto one post, and looked to have crossed the line on its way towards the other upright. Mbappé would end a quiet cameo with a flourish, dancing his way past two defenders before unleashing a shot that was tipped onto the bar by Odysseas Vlachodimos.

After a night of adversity in Athens, France miss out on a full house of qualifying victories. The bigger picture, though, can only be seen as encouraging. After the devastating blow of the World Cup final defeat, the new-look, rejuvenated France have responded in emphatic fashion, turning in consistently high-quality performances against every calibre of opponent. The prospects for next summer are looking bright.

France player ratings

Brice Samba, 5 – The Lens shot-stopper was mostly imposing around his box and could do little about the two Greek goals.

Jules Koundé, 4 – Any assessment of his performances for France should take into account that he isn’t playing in his preferred position. The Barcelona man offered little going forward and was beaten far too easily by Giannoulis on Greece’s second goal. 

William Saliba, 6 – Did well to recover from his early stumble under pressure. The Arsenal man was locked in a fierce battle with Ioannidis for the rest of the game, and was able to win most of his duels against the Panathinaikos forward.

Lucas Hernandez, 5

Théo Hernandez, 6

Adrien Rabiot, 7

Youssouf Fofana, 7 – Two encouraging performances from the Monaco man during this international break, both capped off with goals in both games.

Ousmane Dembélé, 4 – A handful of line-breaking dribbles but contributed little else, looking somewhat isolated on the wing for most of the hour he was on the pitch. Replaced by Kingsley Coman, who almost created the winning goal with a cross that was deflected onto both posts.

Antoine Griezmann, 7 – The vice-captain – who wore the armband in Mbappé’s absence – was at his all-action best in the first half, breaking up attacks while orchestrating what looked to be a convincing victory in the midfield battle. Like his midfield partners, he faded away slightly in the midst of the quick-fire Greek double on the hour mark, but was still among France’s standout performers.

Randal Kolo Muani, 6 – Little involvement but a well-taken goal to open the scoring, and another headed chance before his exit. Replaced by Kylian Mbappé.

Olivier Giroud, 6

The Choc des Olympiques, which was due to take place last Sunday, was called off after the Lyon team bus was pelted with objects on the way to the Stade Vélodrome. Members of the away team’s staff, including manager Fabio Grosso, were injured – the Italian coach was notably seen entering the stadium with a bloodied face and required 13 stitches above his eye.

Labrune has indicated that the game will take place on December 6, but that the league commission will decide on the venue further down the line. This decision, he says, will be made once it has received “additional information from the authorities in order to guarantee the safety of all of those involved and attending” the fixture.

The league chief has added that, on an exceptional basis, the events of Sunday night will be assesed by the disciplinary commission “in their entirety”, in particular with regard to establishing responsibility for access to the Stade Vélodrome. Labrune went on to explain that Grosso had “my support and that of the league as a whole”:

“The acts of which he was the victim are serious and intolerable, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that the perpetrators are prosecuted and convicted.”

A belaboured start from the hosts afforded the Rossoneri with time and space to settle into the game at their own pace –  midfielder Rade Krunić in particular standing out. A litany of errors when building out from the back handed several opportunities to Stefano Pioli’s men, with Rafael Leão seeing a shot whistle wide of the post after twenty-five minutes.

A misfiring start would be of little consequence, though. On the hour mark, the teenage Warre Zaïre-Emery decided to take matters into his own hands and stormed through the midfield – shrugging off two Milan players in the process – before playing Mbappé through. The France captain, facing Rade Krunić, would keep his marker at bay and find the net with a low, near post finish – a classic Mbappé strike.

Luis Enrique’s men would strike again right after the break, as Ousmane Dembélé sweeped home after a lightning-quick break – only for the goal to be ruled out for a shove by Ugarte in the build-up. A second goal would indeed come minutes later – the former Barcelona winger once again involved, as his low shot was parried by Mike Maignan straight into the path of Randal Kolo Muani for a simple, close-range finish.

There was no way back for the Italians – the only attacking threat would come from Rafael Leão meandering solo runs, and some wayward crosses – none of which would ever reach Olivier Giroud. PSG would eventually wrap up the win with a goal from substitute Kang-in Lee, with Zaïre-Emery once again providing the assist.

While the collapse in Newcastle is not yet a distant blip, tonight’s display does offer some much-needed reassurance, with PSG returning to the top of Group F. Luis Enrique’s honeymoon period may not be over just yet.

PSG player ratings:

Gianluigi Donnarumma, 7 – Coming up against his formative club, the Italian initially looked to be struggling when put under pressure when PSG built out from the back. He was not forced into a mistake, though, and was authoritative in keeping the Rossoneri out in the second half.

Achraf Hakimi, 7

Marquinhos, 6 – Faced a tough battle up against Leão and mostly came out on top. His technical ease was important in releasing pressure during build-up play, in the midst of a shaky first 20 minutes for the hosts.

Milan Škriniar, 6

Lucas Hernández, 6

Warren Zaïre-Emery, 7 – It’s scarcely believable that the midfielder doesn’t turn 18 until next March, given the consistently assured performances he turns in both on domestic and continental stages. He was once again instrumental in breaking down an unflinching Milan defence with his incisive runs – his assist for Kylian Mbappé’s opener, which saw him fend off two defenders before threading the pass through, was the highlight of an impressive performance. Added another assist – to make it three for the European campaign – for Kang-in Lee’s goal at the end of the game.

Manuel Ugarte, 5 – PSG’s player of the season so far was slightly below his usually high standards, but remained a dependable presence in breaking up prospective Milan moves. Let down by some wayward passing and a barge on Musah which saw Dembélé’s goal ruled out after half time. Replaced by Fabián Ruiz.

Vitinha, 6

Ousmane Dembélé, 6

Randal Kolo Muani, 6 – The Frenchman justifying his selection ahead of Gonçalo Ramos – some darting runs forward and precise link-up play providing an important outlet for the hosts. Scored the second goal of the game with a close-range finish. Replaced by Ramos for the final ten minutes.

Kylian Mbappé, 7 – Continued his return to form with a trademark sweeping finish inside the near post, and generally combined well with his attacking partners while confirming a return to his incisive best. Came close to a brace several times, notably hitting the post at the end of the game.

Milan player ratings:

Théo Hernandez, 4 – The French international was beaten several times by a resurgent Dembélé, but was mostly able to hold his ground and swung in several crosses from the left – none of which could meet Olivier Giroud’s head.

Rafael Leão, 5 – The former Lille man was incisive in the opening exchanges of the game and managed to get a couple of shots away. His influence on the game understandably diminished as a more assured PSG display in the second half deprived Milan of further opportunities to counter.

GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin

PSG were scarcely tested over the weekend as they strolled to a 3-0 win over Strasbourg, while the Rossoneri fell to a 1-0 loss against Juventus and were knocked off top spot in Serie A. 

In his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Luis Enrique stressed the importance of maintaining the team’s attack-oriented approach to counter the Rossoneri‘s defensive flexibility.

“[We’ll be] attacking, as we always do. We’re a team that’s always sought to attack and have possession. That’s the most important thing for us, and it won’t change. We’ll have to attack more than the opponent, but also defend by pressing them. But what I’ve seen and what I’m feeling makes me optimistic.”

“They usually play in a 4-3-3 formation, and they’re very good all over the pitch. But they can also play with a five-man backline. It’s an option that we’ve taken into account and that we’re ready for.”

The Spaniard was also evasive when asked to pick between his two main centre-forward options, namely summer signings Randal Kolo Muani and Gonçalo Ramos – it was the Portuguese forward who started on Saturday. He instead highlighted the importance of having competition across the squad, and pointed out that he had several other options at his disposal up front, including Marco Asensio and Bradley Barcola.

GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin