Although it was the night Paris Saint-Germain lifted their record-breaking 11th league title, the champions’ final match of the season, at home to Clermont, was more than anything marked by messages of support for hospitalised goalkeeper Sergio Rico.
2022/2023 Ligue 1
2-3
Match Report
There was an early scare for PSG, as Grejohn Kyei bundled the ball in from close range – before the goal was ruled out for a handball, after a lengthy VAR check. The hosts would eventually open the scoring through Sergio Ramos – fittingly scoring on his final appearance, and just as the minute of applause for his fellow Andalusian began – before Kylian Mbappé scored his 29th of the campaign from the spot.
But the threats from Clermont wouldn’t let up, and the visitors’ constant pressure eventually paid off as Johan Gastien pounced on a slow backpass from Marco Verratti to halve the deficit from close range. The errors – both forced and unforced – continued for Christophe Galtier’s backline, and Mehdi Zeffane equalised just before half-time. The full-back, who made the most of Donnarumma’s spill, finished after some great work by Neto Borges down the left.
Losing a two-goal lead ostensibly wasn’t enough to shake the hosts up, and Clermont’s attacks gained in incisiveness, while Maxime Gonalons and Gastien decisively won the midfield battle. They would take the lead through Kyei ten minutes after the start of the second half – after a move that was brilliantly set up by Gonalons’ run forward and switch out wide.
In the end, Christophe Galtier’s men will have won the league by a solitary point – their win against ten-man Lens in April having grown in significance with each passing matchday. The final half hour was effectively a concentrate of the team’s problems this season – a lack of understanding between players, no clear attacking plan, and defensively at sea. A monumental reconstruction beckons this summer for the champions. For Messi, meanwhile, a night that started in boos as his name was called out as part of the lineup, proved hardly any better on the pitch.
The headlines, though, should really be focusing on Clermont – on one of the lowest budgets in the league, Pascal Gastien has managed to haul the team into a first-ever top half finish, ending the season with 8 wins in 10 games.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
3' Foul! Kyei's goal disallowed
15' ClOSE! Mbappe’s shot saved by Goalkeeper!
16' GOAL! PSG 1-0 Clermont (Ramos)
22' Penalty Goal! PSG 2-0 Clermont (Mbappe)
24' GOAL! PSG 2-1 Clermont (Johan Gastien)
28' Yellow Card! Mbappe booked
40' Penalty Missed! (Kyei)
46' GOAL! PSG 2-2 Clermont (Zeffane)
53' Unbelievable! What a miss from Messi！
60' ClOSE! Messi’s shot saved by Goalkeeper!
63' GOAL! PSG 2-3 Clermont (Grejohn Kyei)
Line-ups
PSG XI: Messi, Ramos, Verratti, Danilo Pereira, Mbappe, Donnarumma, Hakimi, Vitinha, Hugo Ekitiké, El Chadaille Bitshiabu, Warren Zaïre-Emery
Subs: Alexandre Letellier, Marquinhos, R.Sanches, Soler, Timothée Pembélé, Lucas Lavallée, Ismaël Gharbi, Serif Nhaga
Clermont XI: Johan Gastien, Gonalons, Elbasan Rashani, Mory Diaw, Zeffane, Mateusz Wieteska, Grejohn Kyei, Maximiliano Caufriez, Neto Borges, Muhammed Cham, Alidu Seidu
Subs: Florent Ogier, Jérémie Bela, Komnen Andric, Khaoui, Jim Allevinah, Yohann Magnin, Ouparine Djoco, Aïman Maurer, Cheick Oumar Konaté