Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain – Football Match Report – March 11, 2023

Paris Saint-Germain refocused on their last Ligue 1 title win of the season, beating Brest 2-1 on Saturday through a late goal from Kylian Mbappe.

Mbappe hit the offside trap to collect a through ball from Lionel Messi in the 90th minute and rounded goalkeeper Marco Bizot to slip into an empty net.

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The French striker was lucky to still be on the pitch after kicking Haris Belkebla, who was down in the 85th minute.

“We’re not saying that’s why we lost, but I would like to know if all the players would get the same treatment if they did,” said Brest midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou. “I asked the referee for an explanation. He said it was tame. So I’d like to see what a real kick is.”

Mbappe initially fouled Belkebla from behind. Belkebla fell to the ground and grabbed Mbappe’s leg. In an act of irritation, Mbappe kicked Belkebla in the stomach. The referee only showed Mbappe and Belkebla yellow cards for this incident.

PSG were knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich on Wednesday and must try to win Ligue 1. PSG leads eleven points ahead of second-placed Marseille.

“Of course there is this disappointment, but we have to win this title and there is unity. And there is no doubt about that unity,” said PSG coach Chistophe Galtier.

Midfielder Carlos Soler struck with a rebound in the 37th minute after Bizot saved an evasive long-range effort from Mbappe. The Spain international was PSG’s most dangerous player in the first half. He rolled a shot that Bizot redirected to the post in the 11th. Soler also fed Mbappe, who missed from a tight angle on the 26th.

Bizot frustrated PSG in the second half, deflecting Messi’s shot from the edge of the box in the 65th minute and rescuing a close-range attempt by Nuno Mendes in the 70th.

Brest had very little possession but was able to reveal the fragility of PSG’s defence. In the 44th minute, the hosts used a counterattack to equalize. Franck Honorat ran in behind Sergio Ramos to chase a long ball from Romain Del Castillo and held off Timothee Pembele to fire a high shot past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Since the World Cup, PSG have only kept two clean sheets in the league.