Posted on Sep 10, 2020 at 10:59 PMUpdated Sep 11, 2020 at 0:10
Decimated by the Covid-19, Paris SG sank in Lens on Thursday (1-0) for its start to the season in Ligue 1, the fault of a ball of its third goalkeeper Marcin Bulka.
Parisian coach Thomas Tuchel warned: “We don’t expect too much from us”. With this defeat of entry to the promoted, caution was justified.
In the absence of seven executives affected by the Covid-19, the German had tenured three young people, the “titis” Arnaud Kalimuendo and Kays Ruiz and the goalkeeper Marcin Bulka.
And it was the Polish goalkeeper, the only one to have already played a match in Ligue 1, who caused this defeat. A revival per hour of play in the feet of the Lensois striker Ignatius Ganago (58th), which made the 3,800 spectators of Bollaert rejoice, who seemed much more despite the health measures limiting the crowd in the stadium.
Ganago, who had already found the post in the first period (17th), even failed to double the stake in stride, with a plunging head a little too short (63rd).
With a nice midfielder Verratti-Gueye-Herrera and the climbs of Layvin Kurzawa, the Parisians have yet demonstrated an overwhelming domination in possession (78% in the first period).
Precise in the passes, the triple reigning French champions sought the loophole, without success, seeking to tire the Northerners for the second period.
– Paris no attack –
This bis aligned team was certainly missing the titular goalkeeper Keylor Navas, but also the stars in attack Neymar, Mbappé, Icardi and Di Maria.
Because neither Pablo Sarabia, nor the two absolute neophytes in L1 Kalimuendo and Ruiz (both 18 years old), were dangerous.
A chouïa individualistic, the two “titis” did not frame their opportunities, despite some nice attempts from Ruiz (21st, 42nd) and a failed face-to-face from Kalimuendo in the first period.
Only Layvin Kurzawa was proactive, but he lacked precision.
“It was not possible for us to create chances, (and) unfortunately it was we who made the decisive error,” said Thomas Tuchel.
And after the opening of the score of Ganago, the vice-champions of Europe lost ground.
“After this goal, we lost our rhythm a bit,” said Tuchel. “We also saw that we were tired after an intense match, after 70, 75 minutes,” he said, as his players resumed training less than a week ago.
– Molten Bollaert –
On the contrary, the Lensois, pushed by a 90% empty Bollaert but on fire, felt themselves growing wings and created new opportunities.
Sotoca thus missed a head at close range (79th) on a free kick from Corentin Jean.
The Blood and Gold supporters, who found Ligue 1 in their den after nine years, can rejoice.
“I’m proud of the players, it’s obvious! We can only be proud of this group. I’m proud of the public,” said Lensois coach Franck Haise.
Especially since he had not thrown all his strength into the battle, three days before a trip to the other promoted, Lorient, perhaps crucial at the end of the season for maintenance.
Striker Florian Sotoca did not enter until the second half, as did the usual captain, the scathing Yannick Cahuzac, who left the armband to goalkeeper Jean-Louis Leca. The goalkeeper offers himself the second scalp of PSG in his career, after a resounding 4-2 in 2015 with Bastia.
“The heart of Bollaert does not beat tonight but that of your supporters more than ever”, preached a banner installed in the lower part of the Marek stand, usual haunt of the lensois ultras, completely empty Thursday evening.
In a stadium in fusion which intoned in the last minutes “Les Corons” like sold out, the message passed like a letter to the post office.
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