Ligue 1, Psg-Reims 1-1: Verratti sent off

There is a PSG with Verratti, and one without. The Italian midfielder, who only came on in the second half, rekindled the light of the Parisian game, orchestrating Neymar’s lead. But then, within a dozen minutes, he got expelled. And at the end, Reims snatched the tie in the last assault, with Balogun in the 95th minute. After the defeat against Rennes, the Parisians’ bad moment continues, in the standings Lens at -3 and Marseille at -5 are not that far away.

OCCASIONS

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At the start, therefore, no Verratti. Galtier doesn’t risk it, given the injury that kept him out for three weeks in the infirmary. In place of him, with Vitinha and Ruiz, there is Soler. But PSG drops the golden trident, with Mbappé, accompanied by Messi and Neymar, on the flanks. In front of Donnarumma, Marquinhos and Ramos, with Hakimi and Bernat on the wings. Reims, coached by the thirty-year-old Belgian Will Still, responded with a 4-2-3-1 formation which ended up in a 4-5-1 formation in defense, with the young striker Balogun as striker. A useless set-up, given that PSG, after a shot from Messi in the 3rd minute, lost the thread of the game and the guests began to grind it. Between 11′ and 25′, Reims created six chances. More or less insidious. The first is by Balogun who receives from the left, blocks and turns, engaging Donnarumma. In the 15th minute Ito shows up, entering Foket’s cross first. In the 17th minute Donnarumma’s instinct was needed to neutralize the insertion of the midfielder Muntesi on the line. And then again to corner Ito’s attack from the right (24′). Three more shots by Flips (25′) and Munetsi end up in the background, even in a bicycle kick (25′ and 29′)

ACCOUNTS

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Even Galtier understands that something doesn’t add up. Also because the only emotion for PSG is that of fear when in the 35th minute Neymar is brought down by a tackle from Ito, who is booked. The coach took the opportunity to update Vitinha and Ruiz, showing them some notes in his notebook on the sidelines. But Messi, Neymar and Mbappé don’t even sting on the counterattack, always making something wrong or being canceled by Reims’ attentive rearguard. And so we go to the break on 0-0. With only one Paris shot attempted: never this bad since 2018.

RED

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In the second half Galtier the Verratti card is played. And it changes everything. In fact, 6′ is enough for the blue to raise the PSG’s center of gravity and trigger the action of the advantage, calling Bernat and Messi into question who ends up serving Neymar with a shot. The Brazilian intercepts, avoids the goalkeeper and puts in. But the Verratti effect doesn’t last long, because three minutes later the Italian goes hard on Ito who still manages to serve Belogun, put down in the area by Marquinhos. For the referee Buquet is yellow to the midfielder and penalty. But the Var changes everything: red card for Verratti and penalty canceled for offside by the visiting attacker. In short, Verratti’s race lasted a total of 13′ and 15”. Worse, in the past only Kurzawa (12’46) and Beckham (9’21) had done at PSG. The emir’s club tried to secure the three points anyway, but Messi wasted again in the 38th minute. While he is not mistaken Balogun, about the last raid. Launched deep, the Englishman from 2001, on loan from Arsenal, escapes the defence, avoids Donnarumma and puts in in the 95th minute. And in Paris there are chills with Lens at -3 and Marseille at -5.