March 13, (THEWILL) – On a challenging afternoon in Paris, Paris Saint-Germain responded to their humiliating Champions League exit with a 3-0 triumph over bottom-placed Ligue 1 side, Bordeaux.
After their terrible performance in Wednesday’s 3-1 loss at Real Madrid, Les Parisiens’ home fans heckled and jeered both Neymar and Lionel Messi from the start, with chants asking for the club’s stars to leave.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side, though, put their recent difficulties behind them to a moderate win against Ligue 1’s worst club.
Early on, Remi Oudin challenged the returning Keylor Navas from range inside the first 40 seconds, while Jean Onana’s free header from the next corner, bounced just wide of the post.
PSG seized the lead midway through the first half, despite being the inferior team in the opening exchanges. Georginio Wijnaldum deftly rebounded Messi’s square pass into the path of Kylian Mbappe, who shot into the roof of the net.
Just after the break, Messi’s defence-splitting pass found Achraf Hakimi, who laid it on a plate for Neymar to score, despite the goal being received with loud boos from the Parc des Princes crowd.
PSG were then awarded a penalty after Marcelo’s raised-studs challenge on Wijnaldum just as he was about to pull the trigger from point-blank range carved the Bordeaux defense open again. However, VAR overturned the judgement due to an offside call against Mbappe during the buildup.
Before Leandro Paredes sat two defenders down and slammed home on his own, Neymar and Mbappe both missed fantastic chances to score PSG’s third on the break.
Messi’s weaving move concluded with the Argentine star blasting just over from the edge of the box, while Alberth Elis of Bordeaux, was denied a penalty after being stopped by Nuno Mendes.
Yacine Adli, a former PSG midfielder, slammed a tremendous strike into Navas’ neck, and Presnel Kimpembe was fortunate not to be penalised for his harsh challenge on Sekou Mara when clearing the rebound.
Late in the game, Messi shook the Bordeaux woodwork, but the ball stayed out as PSG’s lead remained at three goals, putting them 15 points clear at the top of Ligue 1 and they will travel to Monaco for their next fixture.
Bordeaux, however, remains in last place, four points from safety, and will face Montpellier next.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
