Player ratings as Messi and Mbappe steal the show

Paris Saint-Germain eventually made light work of promoted Ajaccio in a 3-0 victory in Ligue 1 on Friday evening.

Christophe Galtier was pitted against his son Jordan, who works as a coach for Ajaccio. His son’s employers started brightly and did well to unsettle PSG early on. That didn’t last long, though, as PSG took a 1-0 lead into half-time thanks to Kylian Mbappe.

For the amount of chances they spurned, though, there was cause for concern. Les Parisiens were wasteful in front of goal and were only let off the hook through a combination of confident defending and the limitations of Ajaccio. Ultimately, though, they continued to the last whistle and were rewarded for their efforts, with Lionel Messi adding a second and Mbappe finishing the game with a brace.

The hosts did a good job of keeping their visitors at bay in the opening stages, dictating the pace of the game, limiting chances and even venturing forward themselves. Mounaim El Idrissy even fired a shot into the side netting after just five minutes, giving PSG something to worry about.

For all their brave work in playing high up the pitch and doing their best to unsettle PSG, though, Ajaccio were punished after 24 minutes when they were dispossessed in their own half by Messi, who had set through Mbappe to rifle the ball in for 1-0 in the blink of an eye.

Taking the lead significantly settled Christophe Galtier’s side, who were suddenly more confident in possession. Mbappe ought to have put them 2-0 up after half an hour, but he somehow blazed a square ball from Achraf Hakimi over the bar.

It was possible that Mbappe played the first half with his boots on the wrong feet. For all the brilliant runs he made off the shoulder of the defender from the left flank, he should’ve had a hat-trick. After firing over earlier, a poor first touch resulted in another wayward attempt after 42 minutes. That, combined with Fabian Ruiz’s effort curling wide of the post, meant Ajaccio were only behind by one at the break – crucial in keeping alive hopes of a comeback.

There was a relaxed nature around PSG’s performance in possession after the break. While they looked defensively sound, the laidback approach to building attacks and testing Benjamin Leroy in the Ajaccio goal was mildly concerning.

Having said that, Christophe Galtier’s side never looked troubled in possession and were able to carve out chances whenever they did up the tempo and turn on the style. Perhaps the biggest compliment you could give is that they…