Published on : 13/01/2021 – 23:09Modified : 13/01/2021 – 23:26
Without shining, PSG won for the tenth time in its history the Champions Trophy, Wednesday in Lens, by winning against Olympique de Marseille (2-1). The winning goals were scored by Icardi and Neymar for PSG, against a goal from Payet at the end of the match.
Paris Saint Germain took revenge against OM (2-1) to win the Champions Trophy on Wednesday in Lens, the first title of the Mauricio Pochettino era.
If the rain brings luck to the bride and groom, then the union between “Poche” and PSG promises to be fruitful, in view of the downpours that fell during the evening.
The Argentinian technician, who arrived at the beginning of January, has perpetuated a house habit, with this 8e Trophy of consecutive champions which reassures a club lacking benchmarks this season.
Abused in the league, criticized for their sometimes tasteless game, the Parisians have found a semblance of normality, when they lift the 26e QSI era trophy started in 2011.
Their noisy collective celebration, which cut through the silence of the Bollaert stadium behind closed doors, spoke volumes about their relief.
Relaunching the steamroller was precisely the goal assigned to Pochettino who celebrated the first title of his coaching career alongside his loyal staff.
Beating the Marseille rival is all the more symbolic as the “Classico” lost at the Parc des Princes (1-0), four months ago, foreshadowed the complicated fall which was to be fatal to his predecessor Thomas Tuchel.
Payet late goalscorer
This time, his players mastered their subject and nerves, as requested by “Pocket” who made emotion control one of his first areas of work.
The bad memory of September swept away, the start of a general fight, the accusations of racist and homophobic insults, the five red cards. It remained a compact team, which left OM with little chance.
André Villas-Boas’ players were aiming for their first trophy since the 2012 League Cup.
But they lacked sharpness, like Florian Thauvin (54e), Duje Caleta-Car (59e) or Valentin Rongier (75e) who could have made the Parisians pay their average start of the second half, again.
The reduction of the score by Dimitri Payet (89e) came too late for a team that played their game to no avail during the five minutes of added time.
The Marseille clumsiness did the business of Pochettino, who was able to leave his superstar Neymar for an hour on the bench, back in the group a month after injuring an ankle.
“Ney” scored from a penalty (84e) provoked by Leandro Paredes and validated by video assistance (VAR), as if to remind that Paris was back.
Moreover, the PSG remembered in good memory the “fantastic four” that Tuchel aligned little, either because he preferred a more stable system, or because his superheroes were unavailable.
Icardi man of the match
Among them, Mauro Icardi, designated man of the match, impressed the most in Lens.
The “Goleador”, hampered by his adductors and his knee for four months, went on a second match with a goal, after that against Brest on Saturday (3-0), for the first time this season.
On a cross from Di Maria, he beat Steve Mandanda in two strokes (39e), after the Marseille goalkeeper stopped his head.
The former Inter had a double ball, but his powerful strike, after a counter initiated by Mbappé, found the crossbar (45e+2).
“Kyky” saw his goal canceled for an offside (29e). He will have another chance to score in a “Clasico” on February 7th, at the Vélodrome, a week before the 8th.e first leg of the Champions League at FC Barcelona: the match that will say if, really, PSG has found the makings of a champion.
With AFP
.
