Inaki Dufour
Sports Writing, Feb. 26 Aún quedan 13 jornadas, aún hay territorio suficiente para un desplome unprevisto, aún sostienen las matematicas la competencia por Ligue 1, pero la realidad es concluyente a favor del París Saint Germain, Kylian Mbappe y Lionel Messi, que fulminaron al Marsella cons tres goles between the two; they increased their advantage to eight points and settled the championship, with the exception of a disaster by the end (0-2).
After the doubts, the difficulties, the three defeats suffered in the tournament after the resumption of Ligue 1 after the World Cup in Qatar 2022, the alarm over the setbacks against Monaco, Lens and Rennes, after losing in three of his last four outings, last-minute victories, he responded at the most compromising moment, during the visit to the Vélodrome de Marseille against second in the table, five points before the start of the shock, eight after and at which he overflowed d an authority that describes the difference.
From Messi to Mbappé and vice versa. Undeniable, at the gates of the resolution this Monday in Paris of the FIFA ‘The Best’ Awards. Both are finalists with Karim Benzema.
Of PSG’s countless resources, both have even more than anyone else. If it is also in open ground, with spaces, in counterattack, the combination makes them unstoppable for any rival. When Marseille realized this, he was already eliminated. From two actions, from the impressive punch of the visiting team, between 24 and 28 minutes, the home team came out badly, bent, within a nightmare that overwhelmed them. No nuances. Without reaction.
Mbappe had gone through nothing from minute 5, when he put a cross to Fabián whose shot was then cleared by Pau López, until minute 24, when his team built a full-speed counterattack . From Vitinha to Messi and from him to Mbappe. Unreachable. Definitives.
The release of the phenomenal French scorer, the pass of the Argentinian world champion and the cross resolution, in two touches of the right of Mbappe, concentrated in an instant the dimension of the two players, when the stake of the round of 16 looms ahead. Champions League horizon against Bayern Munich. You have to win in Germany. You need at least one goal. More than possible with two players of such class.
Another example was 0-2. The Olympique had not yet recovered from the first blow, when it received another. Fulminant. Mbappe picked up the ball on the left wing of the attack, looked up, looked and sent the pass to the right place, with the exact power, with absolute precision, so that Messi’s shot into the box, undetectable by the defense takes advantage of your partner’s gift. Another goal, another hug, protected by stadium security riot shields, as happened in the 0-1, in every corner…
PSG didn’t come into the break with an outrageous win over a strike issue. Everything he showed before disappeared later, on one occasion by Messi who is always a goal, except this Sunday; with another action from Mbappe that was close to 0-3, with one more from Marquinhos, as if he were attacking, with an absolute superiority to which Marseille could not rebel, nor with a direct free kick from Alexis pushed back by Donnarumma.
Messi and Mbappe opened up more distance again. Another connection. From Mbappe to Messi on the edge of the area, from the Argentinian to the Frenchman on the defense, with a chopped ball, which he connects first, volley, crossed, out of reach of Pau López, the French phenomenon, who equals Edinson Cavani’s record as PSG’s top scorer. Add 200 goals to two this Sunday, like the Uruguayan striker, now in Valencia.
The destiny of the party was already written. Perhaps also, except surprise, that of “Ligue 1”, a mission today apparently impossible for Olympique de Marseille, which had suffered only one defeat in the last twelve days, which had won ten of those matches and who had raved about the chance to be champions more than a decade later (they haven’t won the league since 2009-10)…until they crossed paths with the Paris Saint Germain. Is superior.
Never mind the promising staging of Marseille. Never mind that Tavares had two chances that alerted PSG, who lost Kimpembe in the 13th minute to a bad-looking injury, carried off on a stretcher with his hands to his face, awaiting tests to determine the extent of his injuries. .disease, which points to the Achilles tendon. Then he appeared on the bench, on crutches, to see Mbappe’s display.
– Data sheet:
0 – Olympique de Marseille: Pau Lopez; Tavares, Bailly (Claus, m. 66), Balerdi, Rongier, Kolasinac; Veretout; Sous (Ounahi, m. 81), Malinovsky, Guendouzi; Alexis Sanchez (Vitinha, m. 81).
3 – Paris St Germain: Donnarumma; Mukiele (Zaire-Emery, 61), Ramos, Maquinhos, Kimpembe (Danilo Pereira, 15), Nuno Mendes (Bernat, 76); Vitinha, Verratti, Fabien; Mbappe and Messi.
Goles: 0-1, m. 24: Mbappe. 0-2, m. 28: Messi. 0-3, m. 55: Mbappe.
Referee: Clement Turpin.
Incidents: match corresponding to the twenty-fifth day of French Ligue 1, played at the Vélodrome stadium in Marseille in front of some 65,000 spectators. EFE
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