Angers SCO 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain

THE MATCH

Paris came to the Stade Raymond Kopa without coach Mauricio Pochettino, who is self-isolating after the announcement on Friday that he had tested positive for coronavirus. That meant his assistants, Jesus Pérez and Miguel D’Agostino, took charge of the away side, for whom Neymar Jr. made his first start in more than a month after injury.

The Brazilian had come off the bench to score the decisive penalty in the Trophée des Champions win over Olympique de Marseille in midweek but neither he nor his fellow attackers looked especially inspired in Angers.

Indeed the home side, sitting seventh in the table, might have gone ahead early in the second half but Keylor Navas did well to save a Loïs Diony diving header from point-blank range (52’). Substitute Stéphane Bahoken also had a shot deflected just over not long after.

In between those chances Kylian Mbappé was denied by Paul Bernardoni at the other end, and the crucial goal eventually arrived from an unlikely source. Kurzawa does not score often but he arrived from left-back to volley home first-time at the back post with 20 minutes left after Alessandro Florenzi’s cross from the right was helped on by Romain Thomas into his path.

That was enough for the Parisians to leapfrog Olympique Lyonnais and go two points clear at the summit, although Rudi Garcia’s team will have the chance to reclaim the leadership when they host FC Metz on Sunday.

THE PLAYER: Kylian Mbappé

Mbappé again looked some way short of his best form here. He remains the league’s joint top scorer alongside Boulaye Dia of Stade de Reims on 12 goals but he has not yet scored in four games in 2021 under Pochettino. Indeed he has found the net just once in PSG’s last six outings. Not what we have come to expect from the France superstar.

THE STAT: 10

Angers have lost 10 of their 11 Ligue 1 meetings with PSG since winning promotion back to the top flight in 2015. Indeed they have lost every encounter since a 0-0 home draw in December 2015.

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