PSG vs Auxerre: Barcola Key to Victory?

It’s already back to Ligue 1. After a week of the Champions League marked by its surprising defeat at Sporting CP (2-1), PSG went to Auxerre this evening to kick off this 19th day. This trip looked to be a bit tricky with Abbé-Deschamps committed to the visitors’ cause. Luis Enrique had to build his team with 7 absentees (Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, Ndjantou, Lee, Neves, Safonov), forcing him to present an unprecedented eleven including a defense made up of Zaire-Emery, Zabarnyi, Beraldo and Hernandez to protect a Lucas Chevalier who was criticized again, and left Doué and Dembélé on the bench at kick-off.

It’s about handling the bodies with care in these winter evenings but also restoring confidence to some like Barcola, starting with Kvara and Ramos in front. The last gesture was sinful in Portugal and it was the same thing this evening in Burgundy. In the first three minutes, Donovan Léon intervened twice against Barcola (2nd, 3rd). Kvaratskhelia tried his hand and performed a number in the last 30 meters, only frustrated by the last-minute return of Diomandé when the goal had just opened (9th). The capital club dominated the start of the match but was already wasting ammunition to take the lead on the scoreboard.

Rewarded, Barcola took the time

The fault is Léon, definitely in very good shape when he faces PSG. The goalkeeper was again on display on this header from Ramos (30th), then made a double save on this mix-up where Kvara and Mbaye in turn failed (37th). He alone kept the AJA in the match, which tried to react piecemeal, like this acceleration from Sinayoko, prolonged before the kick-off, concluded by a left shot from the Dane (25th), or, later, in front of an audience increasingly determined to achieve the feat, this attempt from the Malian (56th). Because the meeting progressed without the European champion managing to resolve the situation.

And when Léon did not achieve any feat, it was because Barcola missed the target (51st, 63rd). The entries of Dembélé and Doué on the hour mark (against Ramos and Mbaye) revitalized the Parisian attack, without immediately correcting the finishing problems. On another rush from Barcola on the left side, Doué completely missed his control, wasting a huge opportunity (76th). The next one was the good one with this time Dembélé who took advantage of a counter to throw Barcola deep, finally winning his duel with Léon (0-1, 80th). Led and while it is 17th in the ranking, Auxerre had to deliver without this changing the situation of this intense match where PSG, winner by the smallest of margins, regains the lead of the championship, two points ahead of Lens.