Paris Saint-Germain found the points they needed before Manchester City, but not the calm Louis Enrique would have wanted. With Wednesday’s Champions League trip to England already shaping his selection, the PSG coach made sweeping changes for the Ligue 1 visit of promoted Le Mans at the Parc des Princes. His side eventually won 3-1, yet only after the established names summoned from the bench shifted an uneasy afternoon in the capital.
The result was PSG’s first league victory at home this season, following the 2-1 defeat against Monaco in their previous Parc des Princes outing. It followed away wins at Brest, 1-0, and Marseille, 2-1, and moved the champions within three points of Monaco after the leaders were held 2-2 by Toulouse.
Luis Enrique left Ousmane Dembélé and Nuno Mendes out of the squad to manage their workload. Vitinha, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Fabián Ruiz, Désiré Doué and Marquinhos all began among the substitutes, while Lucas Beraldo, Digne, Dro Fernández and Godts were handed league starts for the first time this term. Ferran Torres also started despite having withdrawn from the Spain squad because of ankle discomfort.
The altered PSG side struggled to establish rhythm, although it went ahead after a video review. Harold Hoyer was judged to have handled the ball while trying to stop Achraf Hakimi, and Beraldo converted the resulting penalty in the 20th minute. Le Mans goalkeeper Nicolas Kocik got a touch but could not keep it out.
Le Mans, rather than simply protecting their shape, carried a threat of their own. Louis Mafouta was denied when Lucas Hernández and Matvei Safonov combined to block his effort, before Samuel Yohou drove a loose ball into the side-netting. PSG nearly doubled their lead before half-time when Kocik made an outstanding save from Maghnes Akliouche’s angled header.
Le Mans expose the uncertainty
Luis Enrique kept the same team on after the interval, and Kocik again intervened when Hakimi escaped into space. PSG paid for failing to find a second goal almost immediately. Lucas Calodat sent over a cross from the left and Mafouta struck first time with force. The goal was initially ruled out for offside, only for VAR to confirm the equaliser in the 54th minute.
The reaction inside the stadium was sharp, with whistles from the stands prompting Luis Enrique to make four substitutions at once. Vitinha, Kvaratskhelia and Fabián Ruiz were among those introduced, and the response arrived within three minutes. Fabián’s powerful shot was only parried by Kocik, leaving Kvaratskhelia to turn in the rebound for 2-1 in the 61st minute.
Akliouche gave PSG breathing room seven minutes later, driving forward before placing a precise left-footed shot inside the near post. It was his first PSG goal since his summer arrival from Monaco.
There was still resistance from the visitors. Dame Gueye beat Lucas Hernández with two changes of direction and hit the crossbar, while Safonov made two further saves as Le Mans continued to attack directly. PSG had chances to add another goal, most notably when Noa Boissé fouled Vitinha in the area. Doué’s penalty was saved by Kocik, and a second spot-kick awarded after the rebound was overturned on review because Vitinha had entered the box before the first attempt.
The afternoon therefore delivered a necessary league win rather than a polished send-off for Europe. PSG will travel to Manchester with momentum in the table, but also with a reminder that the rotated side required its regulars to settle a contest that Le Mans had made distinctly uncomfortable.
