PSG required a late moment of magic from Kylian Mbappe to squeak out an ugly 2-1 win over 15th-placed Brest on Saturday
With their starting lineup decimated due to a host of injuries, PSG seemed primed to struggle on Saturday, even against a bottom-half team.
And they did for long periods, toiling in their attempts to break down a dogged Brest squad.
The Ligue 1 leaders have conceded the most goals of any top-half side since the World Cup, and their penchant for surrendering leads resurfaced. After Carlos Soler netted the opener, nipping in before a defender to turn a rebound home, Brest leveled the score when Franck Honorat dinked the ball over a sprawling Gianluigi Donnarumma.
PSG offered little fight for much of the second half, and Brest created the better opportunities of either side. The Parisians were perhaps lucky not to be down to 10 men after Mbappe kicked out at Haris Belkebla, and Brest squandered a duo of good chances towards to the end of the contest.
And then, Mbappe. In the 90th minute, the forward rushed onto a clipped Messi pass, rounded the goalkeeper and sent the ball into an empty net to turn a dreary game into a victorious one. It was also Messi's 300th career assist – another special milestone for the Argentina star.
GOAL rates PSG's players from Stade Francis-Le Ble…
Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence
Gianluigi Donnarumma (6/10):
Helpless on the goal, made one save otherwise. Must be frustrated that his back four keep giving up copious chances. Has only kept two clean sheets since the World Cup.
Timothee Pembele (5/10):
Got caught the wrong side of Honorat for Brest's equaliser, struggled to connect up the pitch. A youngster's performance. Still recovering from a knee injury sustained last April.
Sergio Ramos (6/10):
Won his headers, pinged his passes, was largely untroubled. Will need to continue to perform as PSG hope to win Ligue 1.
Danilo Pereira (6/10):
Filled in on the back line again, and was about as reliable as can be asked from a defensive-midfielder. Galtier has lauded the Portuguese international's versatility in recent weeks, and it's nights like these that show just how valuable he is to the side.
Nuno Mendes (6/10):
Almost made one bad defensive error, but redeemed himself with a burst of pace. Finished the game playing as a left-winger, which seemed to suit him.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield
Marco Verratti (6/10):
Defensively sound as ever, but was culpable for the lack of creative spark. Penned a new deal to stay at the club recently, and displayed just how valuable he is to the side.
Warren Zaire-Emery (6/10):
Won the ball a lot, linked up well. Not his best showing, but it's hard to believe that Zaire-Emery just turned 17. He will continue to develop, which is pretty scary.
Carlos Soler (6/10):
Scored the opener, had another shot saved. Didn't contribute much in terms of build up, especially in the second half. He was an odd signing in September and remains an odd signing now.
Fabian Ruiz (5/10)
Seemed to be settling into the side in the last few months, but fell back into his pre-World Cup, inconsistent self here. Fortunate to be on the pitch for 75 minutes. Still struggling to find his best in a PSG shirt.
Getty ImagesAttack
Lionel Messi (8/10):
Was exciting and incisive for 90 minutes, found the killer pass that set up Mbappe's winner. It's pretty much what happens if you're the best to ever do it. He's the first player to reach 300 career assists. There will likely be a fair few more…
Kylian Mbappe (7/10):
Appeared to be having one of his worst games of the season – with heavy touches and poor decisions blighting his performance. Should have been sent off for kicking an opponent. But then he grabbed the winner with a lovely goal. Perplexing and brilliant. Might need to do this more often to drag PSG over the line.
GettySubs & Manager
Juan Bernat (6/10):
Offered defensive cover and gave Nuno Mendes more license to go forward.
Vitinha (6/10):
Made little impact.
Hugo Ekitike (6/10):
Barely touched the ball after being introduced late. Showed why his manager didn't trust him against Bayern midweek.
Renato Sanches (6/10):
Made a welcome return from injury. Will hope to stay fit for an extended period.
Christophe Galtier (7/10):
Somehow Galtier comes out of this looking good. He picked the strongest team possible, given his injuries, and allowed Mbappe plenty of space to operate. PSG were poor for 90 minutes and could have conceivably lost here. But a moment of Mbappe magic got his side, and his manager off the hook. There might have to be a few more ugly wins to get PSG over the line – but it still might not save the manager's job.