For the return of Ligue 1 with the unprecedented Boxing Day in France, Paris Saint-Germain received Racing Club de Strasbourg at the Parc des Princes this Wednesday evening as part of the 16th day of the championship. The capital club, a solid leader before the international break reserved for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, could count on the return of some of its Globalists, including the two strikers Kylian Mbappé and Neymar Jr, holders alongside Hugo Ekitike in attack. With the absence of Presnel Kimpembe, Christophe Galtier decided to trust the young El Chadaille Bitshiabu (17) on the left of captain Marquinhos. On the side of the Alsatians, Julien Stéphan did not really change his device and trusted his usual attack composed of Adrien Thommasson, accompanying Ludovic Ajorque and the former Parisian Kevin Gameiro. The start of the meeting was to the credit of the locals, always so dangerous offensively. First monopolizing the ball, PSG offered their first opportunity through Nordi Mukiele, whose shot was blocked for a corner. We had to wait for the perfect call from Marquinhos on the free kick from Neymar Jr to witness the opening of the Parisian score, with a helmet shot to deceive Matt Sels (1-0, 14th). The Brazilian striker then thought he would get a penalty following contact with Gerzino Nyamsi, but his exaggerated gesture was not signaled by the referee, Mr. Clément Turpin (20th). Kylian Mbappé was waiting for the 25th minute to test the opposing goalkeeper, without success for the Blue. Gameiro was also checked by Gianluigi Donnarumma in the other area (30th).
Present in the starting lineup for the third time this season, Hugo Ekitike lacked success in this meeting, not finding the frame on his two occasions in the first act (35th, 45 + 1st). Returning from the locker room, Marquinhos this time deceived the vigilance of his own goalkeeper, diverting the center of Thommasson into his own net (51st). Warned for a hand in the face of number 10 Strasbourg (61st), Neymar Jr was even expelled in stride after a rough simulation in the area, forcing Mr. Turpin to send him the second yellow, synonymous with red (62nd). But despite the numerical inferiority, the men of Galtier sometimes showed themselves dominating in the opposing half of the field, without however managing to find the solution in the last meters. At the end of the match, the RCSA worried Parisians, seeming too fair physically, and brought some scares to the Parisian truth zone, again without success. While he managed to afford a face-to-face in front of Sels, Mbappé missed his hook and finally lost the ball for a big chance to regain the advantage (90 + 1st). But on one of the last actions of added time, Nyamsi pushed Mbappé, alone against Sels. The Parisian number 7 was doing justice to himself and offered the three points to his people. Final score: 2-1. Strasbourg remains penultimate in the standings at three points from Nantes, the first non-relegation. PSG, still first in Ligue 1, take eight provisional points from RC Lens, traveling to Nice on Thursday.
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