Paris Saint-Germain are still not officially champions on Sunday despite their victory and Kylian Mbappé’s double against AJ Auxerre (2-1) and will have to wait a few more days to celebrate their record 11th title. After Lens’ victory on the lawn of Lorient earlier on Sunday (3-1), PSG could not be officially crowned champion in Auxerre. But this success against AJA puts him six points ahead of the Sang et Or and marks almost his 11th coronation, a record, thanks to the goal difference largely in his favor.
Unless PSG suffers two big defeats against Strasbourg and Clermont and Lens gets two wins with a shower of goals in the last two days. At the bottom of the table, Auxerre is still not saved after this defeat and remains in first non-relegation place (16th, 34 pts), just ahead of Nantes (17th, 33 pts). This match at the Abbé-Deschamps stadium, which was sold out, was marked by the return of Parisian ultras, on strike for several days. Chants, flags and smoke bombs: around 1,000, including 400 members of the Collectif Ultras Paris, the Parisian supporters were heard throughout the match, a sign of warming up with the club.
The Parisian defense on a wire
In the field and as often this season, Kylian Mbappé put on a show from the start of the match: after a festival of hooks in the Auxerre area, the number 7 lodged the ball in the skylight (6th). Two minutes later, served by Leo Messi the Bondynois doubled the bet on his special, a curled shot from the right to the near post, at the entrance to the surface (8th), the earliest double in Ligue 1 since 2012. Two shots, two goals for the Parisians.
In the second half, he could have scored a hat-trick but Radu came out well (58th), then he was in an offside position (92nd). With 28 goals, Mbappé keeps his first place as top scorer in Ligue 1, still ahead of Lyonnais Alexandre Lacazette, who scored again on Friday (26) and follows him closely. Just like Messi in the ranking of the best passer in Ligue 1 (16). The Argentinian, who is probably living his last hours in the red and blue jersey, has failed several times in front of Radu’s goal (25th, 30th, 44th). Established for the third time in a row alongside Messi and Mbappé, Hugo Ekitike again gave a mixed performance. The former Reims missed in front of goal on a caviar from Mbappé (42nd), but also his placements and his duels. He limped off (54th), replaced by the Portuguese midfielder Vitinha to restore some vigor to the Parisian midfield.
opponent revived
Because as too often during this second part of the season, PSG let their opponent revive at the start of the second period. AJA, galvanized by its public and by the many chances of the first half (17, 27, 38, 43, 47th), resurfaced thanks to the first goal of Lassine Sinayoko on a block (51st). Imperial until then, the Parisian goalkeeper Gigi Donnarumma let the ball pass under his flank. He proved to be valuable again after the reduction of the score, thanks to several parades (68, 74, 76, 90th).
Like its environment, the Parisian defense was on a wire, never far from completely cracking, under pressure from Burgundy. In particular, it took a save from Danilo Pereira from the head and on his line not to sink (63rd). Bitter, the Burgundians held up a bitter banner against PSG at the end of the meeting: “If Paris is the city symbol of freedom, PSG is the club symbol of the dictatorship, remember boycott Qatar2022”.