PSG lost Kylian Mbappe and Sergio Ramos to injury after a deserved 1-3 win over hard-fighting Montpellier in Ligue 1 match day 21 clash.
It was not a rosy ride for the star-studded Christophe Galtier boys. Montpellier held off the visitors in the first 45 minutes and headed into the first-half break goalless.
Brilliant and superb defending by Montpellier made the Ligue 1 giants nearly drop points again after surrendering two points at the death to Reims at Parc Des Princes at the weekend.
Arsenal loanee to Reims Folarin Balogun bombed the Parisians with a stoppage-time strike in the 90+6 minute to share the spoils with the champions. Hence, PSG needed a win against Montpellier to beat off the competition from Lens and Marseille, who were surging forward and closing in on the Ligue 1 title challenge.
From the start, PSG held down Montpellier with a number of first-half offensives, pressing them into their own box, and searching for an early goal.
Montpellier effectively weathered the heavy pressure with a sleeky tactical move which allowed the team to collectively defend and attack with a measured pace.
Nevertheless, they could not wholly stop the reigning champions. PSG came across a series of chances in the first half but failed to convert them before finally heading into the break, heads down, without a goal.
However, they finally had the better of their resilient hosts 10 minutes into the second half. It was Ruiz with the opening and breakthrough goal which moved the Parisians five points clear of the League table.
Montpellier failed to mount any formidable response and struggled to match the pace and brilliance of their visitors with the ball. In the 72nd minute, Lionel Messi scored the second goal to double the lead.
Despite taking a two-goal lead, PSG still dominated proceedings in the game but Montpellier began to surge forward from their own half, pushing for a comeback
Late in the second half, Nordin scored for the home side to bring the scoreline to 2-1. The goal enlivened hopes of a comeback for Montpellier, but they were dealt a final blow in stoppage-time when Zaire-Emery scored in the 90+2 minutes to bury the game and seal the win.
The 1-3 victory saw PSG extend their lead on the table to 5 points after 21 matches.
However, the victory against Montpellier came at a cost. Two of the club’s top stars, Sergio Ramos and Kylian Mbappe, were forced to be subbed off due to knee injuries.
Reacting to the development which left PSG fans shell-shocked, Christophe Galtier confirmed that both players sustained minor injuries and were taken off to manage their workload during a busy schedule.
Galtier said that defender Ramos hurt his adductor while forward Mbappe had a knee issue. Both players were substituted in the first half.
“Sergio preferred to leave and not to take risks because of the discomfort he felt in his adductor,” Galtier told a news conference.
“Concerning Kylian, there was a challenge after a dribble, he took a blow on the knee, behind the knee, so on the knee and on the muscle. Is it a bruise, a haematoma? We don’t know yet.
“But also when you look at the run of games obviously he can’t take any risks because we have a very busy schedule. But apparently, it doesn’t seem to be very serious for either player.”
Christophe Galtier’s statement on the injury situation of the two players is a big relief to PSG fans, who had started to panick after both players were subbed off in the game.
PSG plays Bundesliga heavyweight and European giants Bayern Munich in Champions League round 16. An injury to the two players would have been a major blow as the team hopes to win their first ever European crown.
