PSG were 3-0 down after a spectacular first half in their Ligue 1 opener in Nantes. Neymar reduced the deficit shortly after the restart but then failed miserably from the penalty spot.
The pyro fog in La Beaujoire had not yet cleared before the underdogs took the lead. After a double double pass with the lively Simon, Kolo Muani beat PSG goalkeeper Navas with the outside of his foot (4th minute). It was the starting signal for a wild first half that could have ended in a 5-5 draw.
Messi should have equalised immediately, but failed to do so in front of Lafont (8th). It was not to be the last time that a PSG player despaired of Nantes’ goalkeeper this evening.
Instead, the underdogs went ahead – and how! The 19-year-old Merlin scored his first goal in Ligue 1 with a brilliant shot into the corner (16th). Kolo Muani almost added a third goal (18th).
Goalkeeper Lafont drives PSG stars to despair
Meanwhile, PSG stars despaired of Lafont, who also had the upper hand against Mbappé (18th), Gueye (26th) and Neymar (28th). On the other side, Navas was also able to keep out Simon during the wild back-and-forth (29th).
Shortly before the break, the VAR intervened twice. Both times rightly – and both times to PSG’s disadvantage. First, the red card against Appiah for an alleged emergency stop was corrected to a yellow (45.+1), then, according to the video, Nantes were awarded a handball after Wijnaldum had blocked Castelletto’s header with his arm without penalty. Blas converted (45.+6) to give Nantes a 3-0 interval lead they hardly thought possible.
Neymar starts the chase to catch up – and then puts the brakes on it again
Shortly after the changeover, Neymar reduced the score to 1:3 (47th) after a pass from Messi. And perhaps the favourites would have started a successful recovery if the Brazilian had scored from the penalty spot after just under an hour. But his miserable attempt was caught by Lafont. Mbappé also missed a great chance to make it 2:3 when, after a chance pass from substitute Draxler, he shot over the goal from six metres, completely free (74th)
In the final phase, Nantes could hardly provide any relief, but were also hardly in danger. PSG conceded their second league defeat of the season and their first since the beginning of October and their last 15 unbeaten league appearances. The lead at the top nevertheless remains in double figures – while Nantes can dream of Europe thanks to the unexpected success.
