Having already secured their status as champion d’automne – the symbolic title given to the Ligue 1 leaders at the halfway point of the season – Paris Saint-Germain were looking to do that title justice as they hosted Metz for the final match of the calendar year. After a promising start to the campaign, the Lorraine side were now only just hovering above the drop zone, having lost their previous three fixtures.
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
GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin
