Lille hammer 'beginners' PSG as they close in on the Champions League
This time last season Lille were second bottom. Now they are second only to PSG at the top of the table
By Adam White and Eric Devin for Get French Football News
Stade Louis-Dugauguez, Sedan, December 2000. Laurent Robert scores PSG’s only goal as they lose 5-1 to Sedan, who now play in the fourth tier. On Sunday night, nearly two decades later, Lille became the latest team to put five goals past PSG in a Ligue 1fixture. While the scoreline was an unfamiliar one, it was the type of defeat PSG know only too well.
Lille put PSG under pressure from the start. Xeka’s flicked header rebounded off Thomas Meunier and into the next to give Lille the lead and, although Juan Bernat swiftly responded with the equaliser, PSG appeared brittle in what was a fraught and open game. After Bernat was dismissed for bringing down Nicolas Pépé, the second half was a riot.Pépé rolled home five minutes after the break before winger Jonathan Bamba crashed in a third. Bamba, Pépé and Jonathan Ikoné all might have scored before centre-backs Gabriel and José Fonte outmuscled a lethargic PSG defence that was missing Thiago Silva and Marquinhos to embellish the scoreline further.
Kylian Mbappé said PSG “played like beginners” and “must play with more personality”. Although Tuchel insisted that he disagreed with Mbappé’s explanation, it has become an almost clichéd PSG punchline as mental strength again proved non-existent. Despite winning 26 of their 30 league games with a modicum of fuss, this was the second time in a week that PSG have thrown away the chance to win the title. A win against Strasbourg last Sunday would have sufficed, but they could only draw; and a draw against Lille would have been enough, but they were beaten. Once again – mirroring a host of limp exits from the Champions League, PSG imploded when handed a relatively simple task with something tangible at stake.
Particularly guilty of lacking personality was German defender Kehrer who, as he did against United, looked terrified and was positionally very poor; Presnel Kimpembe again underlined how he has regressed this season; and Leandro Parades failed to make any impact. Despite his €47m fee, he looks likely to be demoted to the bench next season.
Mbappé, playing like he had something to prove after a wayward display in the defeat to United, was the only PSG player to show resilience or threaten consistently. His sharp turn and looped cross to set up Bernat’s goal remained a highlight. On top of the humiliation, PSG also suffered collateral damage via a (typically) needless Marco Verratti booking for berating the referee late on, meaning he will miss their league game at Nantes on Wednesday.
Although this dismantling will be frustrating and embarrassing, there are caveats. PSG had injuries and Christophe Galtier’s men had much more to play for: if they secure second place, they will not have to enter the Champions League qualifiers in July. Tuchel’s style tends to create more fluid games, something that has benefits PSG, even if defeats like these are possible when their intensity drops. Their one-dimensional, possession-based football may have worn down Ligue 1 opponents in previous seasons, but it meant they plateaued in Europe. Despite the disastrous defeat to United, there were signs of genuine progress in Europe this season against Liverpool and Napoli.
Nevertheless, Pépé – who was awarded a rare 9/10 from L’Équipe, who deemed him “unplayable” – pointed out that Lille “could have scored more” as Galtier got his pre-match wish for his team to “play without restraint.” After Lyon’s latest catastrophe – they lost 2-1 at Nantes on Friday night – Lille now enjoy an eight-point cushion over Lyonin third.
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