Auxerre v PSG Live Commentary & Result, 21/05/2023, Ligue 1

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	PTS	Form
1	PSG PSG	38	27	4	7	89	40	+49	85	L D W W W
2	RCL Lens	38	25	9	4	68	29	+39	84	W W W W W
3	OM Olympique Marseille	38	22	7	9	67	40	+27	73	L L L W L
4	REN Rennes	38	21	5	12	69	39	+30	68	W W W W L
5	LIL Lille	38	19	10	9	65	44	+21	67	D W W D L
6	ASM Monaco	38	19	8	11	70	58	+12	65	L L L D W
7	OL Olympique Lyonnais	38	18	8	12	65	47	+18	62	L W W L W
8	CLE Clermont	38	17	8	13	45	49	-4	59	W W L W D
9	NIC Nice	38	15	13	10	48	37	+11	58	W W D L W
10	FCL Lorient	38	15	10	13	52	53	-1	55	W L L D W
11	SR Reims	38	12	15	11	45	45	0	51	L L D L W
12	MON Montpellier	38	15	5	18	65	62	+3	50	W L W D L
13	TFC Toulouse	38	13	9	16	51	57	-6	48	W D D D D
14	BRE Brest	38	11	11	16	44	54	-10	44	L W W W L
15	STR Strasbourg	38	9	13	16	51	59	-8	40	L D D W W
16	NAN Nantes	38	7	15	16	37	55	-18	36	W L L D L
17	AJA Auxerre	38	8	11	19	35	63	-28	35	L D L L D
18	ACA Ajaccio	38	7	5	26	23	74	-51	26	W L L L D
19	TRO Troyes	38	4	12	22	45	81	-36	24	D L D L L
20	SCO Angers SCO	38	4	6	28	33	81	-48	18	L W D L L

That concludes our commentary of the Ligue 1 fixture between Auxerre and Paris-Saint Germain! We hope you’ve enjoyed it!

Auxerre play their penultimate match of the season on Saturday, when they travel to Toulouse. PSG are in action on the same day, when they visit Strasbourg.

Two goals in two minutes from Mbappe early in the first half is enough to see out the result for Paris Saint-Germain, despite a valiant fightback from Auxerre in the second half. Having dominated the first half in all aspects, PSG seemed to re-emerge from the interval slightly lax, with the hosts even more determined after striking the crossbar late in the first period. It took Pelissier’s side just six minutes after the restart to find their goal, with Radu and Da Costa combining to play Sinayoko through and into a position to beat Donnarumma. Hein and Dembele had chances to put their team level but the Italy international goalkeeper was alert and unfazed, preventing a late comeback and ensuring that two goals were all that were necessary to seal the three points. The win puts PSG six points ahead of Lens while Auxerre stay 16th.

90' + 6' FULL-TIME: AUXERRE 1-2 PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN.

90' + 4' MBAPPE IS DENIED HIS HAT-TRICK! Messi looks to punish Auxerre’s high line by slipping a pass through for Mbappe, who takes the ball in stride and curls a shot into the far corner, beating a diving Radu. The forward wheels away to celebrate but the fourth official raises his flag for offside, which prompts appeals from the visiting players. VAR intervenes to resolve the situation and ultimately agrees with the initial decision, with Auxerre given a free-kick to restart play.

90' + 2' The fourth official indicates four minutes will be added to the end of the match for stoppages.

90' Dembele beats both Verratti and Vitinha on his way inside from the right, driving into a pocket of space before hitting a low shot that Donnarumma stoops low to deal with.

88' Sanches cuts inside from the left and has a go at goal from 18 yards out but again Auxerre manage a crucial block, with Birama Toure and Massengo converging to repel the shot.

S. Dembélé

G. Hein

86' Hein is replaced by Dembele in Auxerre’s third switch of the game.

M. Niang

Nuno da Costa

86' Niang is given a chance to find the equaliser, replacing Da Costa.

G. Perrin

L. Sinayoko

86' The goal-scorer is taken off with four minutes to go as Sinayoko makes way for Perrin.

84' Ramos attacks Vitinha’s inswinging corner-kick but it’s put far too close to the goalkeeper, as Radu takes a confident step off his line to make a clean catch.

83' PSG have 13 away wins this season in Ligue 1 (D1 L3), with only Napoli (14) enjoying more in the big-five European leagues this term. PSG have not had more over a full season since 2016/17 (14).

81' Sinayoko plays a somewhat hopeful pass down the left flank for the ever-willing Mensah but Ramos comes across and has enough time to win the ball back before calmly linking up with Verratti in midfield.

Renato Sanches

Fabián Ruiz

79' Ruiz will be unable to continue, which gives Sanches a chance to see out the remainder of the match.

78' Play is halted for Ruiz, who has gone down off the ball in a spot of bother. Ramos comes to the side of his countryman and has a word before signalling to the bench that a change will be necessary.

76' Sinayoko wins the ball back from Ruiz and centres a pass for Hein but Donnarumma comes flying off his line and intercepts the ball, with the goalkeeper intelligently steering it away from the lurking Da Costa.

74' Ramos finds himself on the edge of the opposing penalty area and plays a cross to the far post but it’s cleared emphatically by Souleymane Toure.

72' Ruiz manages to win a foul thanks to Raveloson’s unintended stomp, which disappointingly ends a promising move for the hosts as they continue to search for the equaliser.

70' Birama Toure is given time and space in midfield, which the Auxerre captain uses to devastating effect - playing a perfect pass over the top of Ramos for Da Costa. The striker’s first touch is a useful one as he bears down on goal but he eventually stumbles just ahead of the penalty area, allowing the PSG centre-back to easily control the situation.

68' Mbappe brings the ball down with a lovely touch inside Auxerre's 18-yard box but fails to find the space for a shot, instead laying it off for Bernat. The wing-backs cross is blocked but before he’s allowed to try again the referee blows his whistle for an offside in the build-up.

66' Verratti cuts inside in midfield and plays the ball over the top of Auxerre’s defence for the run of Messi but the Italy international fails to connect with his intended target, sending his pass too far ahead of his team-mate which allows Mensah to regain possession for the hosts.

64' Mbappe again thunders towards the edge of the penalty area looking to seal his hat-trick but Jubal does just enough to open his body and block the attempt before it could reach Radu.

62' Hein’s left-footed cross into the penalty area is met by Ruiz, who gets his head to the ball initially before hooking an awkward volley that gets the ball clear.

60' Massengo is brought down by Verratti 30 yards from goal, giving Auxerre a chance to test Donnarumma from a set-piece.

58' Mbappe tries his luck and hits a strike from just outside the penalty area but it’s blocked by a seemingly unaware Mensah.

56' GREAT SAVE! Messi slips a pass through the lines for Mbappe, who stays onside and manages to get a shot away. Radu is again alert and anticipates the danger, stepping far off his goal-line to close down the effort and make a great stop.

Vitinha

H. Ekitike

55' Confirmation of the enforced change, with Galtier sending Vitinha on for Ekitike.

53' Play is stopped momentarily for Ekitike, who has gone down for a second time in five minutes. The forward appears to be holding his hamstring as the medical staff indicate to the bench that a change is the likeliest scenario.

Nuno da Costa

Assist

51' Da Costa is credited with an assist for his well-placed header, which set Sinayoko up for the goal.

L. Sinayoko

Goal

51' SINAYOKO HALVES THE DEFICIT! 2-1! Radu’s kick from inside his penalty area is headed on inside the centre-circle by Da Costa, which allows Sinayoko to latch onto the ball behind the last defender. With Ramos and Danilo converging the winger steadies himself and fires a low shot with his left foot that slips under the body of Donnarumma and in!

50' Mbappe has scored in each of his last six games in all competitions (all in Ligue 1, 9 goals in this run). This is his best such streak with PSG since November 2019-January 2020 (8 matches, 10 goals).

48' Hein makes an overlapping run down the left and receives the ball from Mensah before firing a cross towards the edge of the six-yard box. Da Costa misses his backheel attempt which allows Zaire-Emery to smuggle it away after beating Zedadka in a battle at the far post.

Jubal

Yellow Card

46' Jubal picks up the first yellow card of the match a minute into the second half, with his poorly timed lunge catching the foot of Verratti.

46' Auxerre get the match restarted from the kick-off!

Looking to secure the league title with two matches left, Galtier should be looking to score as many goals as possible to boost their differential over Lens. Vitinha and Soler could see action to replace Verratti and Zaire-Emery, while Bitshiabu could be given a chance if the win looks secure after an hour or so. Auxerre have no choice but to press on and attack in light of a looming last-day relegation battle, with former Milan forward Niang as well as M’Changama available to try and turn the tides.

Paris Saint-Germain take a dominant performance and a two-goal lead into the half-time interval, with a pair of goals in as many minutes giving the visitors a commanding position in the match. Scoring with both of his first two shots on target, Mbappe has been the dominant figure, scoring as well as providing a creative outlet for Ekitike and Messi - with the former squandering a gilt-edged chance to give the visitors another. Auxerre have played their part after a poor opening spell and fashioned a couple of dangerous chances for themselves, with Raveloson’s volley off the crossbar the closest they came to halving the deficit.

45' + 3' HALF-TIME: AUXERRE 0-2 PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN.

45' + 1' The fourth official indicates two minutes will be added to the end of the half for stoppages.

44' A promising PSG counter-attack following an Auxerre corner comes to an end with a free-kick awarded to the hosts, after Zaire-Emery overruns the ball before fouling Birama Toure.

42' WASTED CHANCE! Mbappe shows his incredible pace as he plays the ball forward and beats Zedadka with ease, charging to the byline before playing a perfect low cross to Ekitike at the far post. With an open net two yards out, the striker stumbles over his own legs and fails to turn it home!

40' Bernat goes down inside the penalty area under pressure from Birama Toure, but the referee deems the contact incidental and allows play to continue. The wing-back, as well as Mbappe, are not happy with the decision as they argue their point but there’s no indication VAR will intervene as the hosts restart play with a goal-kick.

38' OFF THE CROSSBAR! Mensah’s cross from the left is nodded back to the edge of the penalty area by Marquinhos, who presents an opportunity to Raveloson. The defender steps forward and executes a perfect volley, with his effort beating the goalkeeper but not the woodwork!

36' Bernat keeps the ball in play ahead of the byline and fires a cross towards the penalty spot from a tight angle but Birama Toure steps forward and controls the ball with his chest before clearing it back down the pitch.

34' Radu comes a long way outside of his penalty area to put in an impressive sliding tackle, taking the ball away from an unmarked Ekitike and putting it out for a throw-in.

32' Sinayoko rushes a shot from 24 yards out with defenders converging, but the ball fails to come anywhere close to Donnarumma’s goal.

31' Ruiz finds the run of Messi, who uses his first touch well to win some room ahead of Zedadka to fire a shot away. Radu reads the danger accurately and takes up a good position at his near post to smother the eventual effort.

30' Mbappe and Verratti combine on a short corner-kick but the France international’s eventual centred cross is easily intercepted by Hein to relieve the pressure.

28' Auxerre win the ball back in midfield and immediately look to counter, with Hein the target of Mensah’s cross into the 18-yard box. The forward takes a touch and curls a dangerous shot towards goal, with Donnarumma forced to palm it over the bar for a corner.

26' Messi’s outswinging corner is attacked well by Marquinhos, who pops up and hammers his header narrowly over the crossbar.

24' Mbappe turns provider, playing a clever ball into the penalty area for Ekitike but again, Jubal well placed to make the necessary tackle.

22' PSG trio Pereira, Marquinhos and Ramos have won 83% of their games in Ligue 1 this season when starting a match together (10/12 – one draw and one loss). This is the best ratio for a duo/trio of central defenders with at least three starts together in the division this season.

20' Hein cuts inside from the right and curls a cross towards Da Costa but Verratti steps across and nods it away, preventing Donnarumma from being called into action.

18' Da Costa receives a pass from Massengo with a lovely turn to get past Ramos and into the penalty area, where he cuts it back for Hein. The forward hammers an awkward volley towards goal but it fails to bend back, sailing high and wide of the target.

16' Mbappe again slips past the Auxerre defence and gets on the end of Pereira’s long pass but with only Radu to beat, the whistle is blown for a tight offside decision.

14' Verratti is again down on the turf, this time holding his foot after a mistimed challenge from Sinayoko. PSG take the set-piece quickly and immediately play it into the penalty area but Jubal does just enough to lash it away.

12' PSG have been at their clinical best in the opening dozen minutes, with Mbappe in a position to squander a potential 10-minute hat-trick. A win was a tall order for Auxerre before kick-off but they’ve been put in a position where even a draw is highly unlikely with over an hour left to play.

10' CHANCE! Messi plays a ball into the channel from the halfway line, with Zedadka unable to cleanly intercept the pass. Mbappe latches onto it and drives towards goal with determination but a backtracking Jubal manages to put it behind at the last second!

L. Messi

Assist

8' Messi gets his name on the score sheet with an assist for Mbappe's second.

K. Mbappé

Goal

8' TWO GOALS IN TWO MINUTES FOR MBAPPE! 2-0! A giveaway in midfield presents the ball to the foot of Messi 20 yards away from Radu’s target, with the Argentina international immediately playing it across the face of the box. Ekitike cleverly steps over the ball as a decoy and without thinking, Mbappe immediately curls a beautiful shot that leaves the goalkeeper with no chance!

Fabián Ruiz

Assist

6' Ruiz registers an assist with a perfectly weighted ball for Mbappe.

K. Mbappé

Goal

6' MBAPPE FINDS THE TOP CORNER! 1-0 PSG! Messi plays a quick pass to Ruiz just outside the penalty area before being taken out by a tackle, which gives the midfielder just enough space to squeeze the ball through the defence for Mbappe. The striker slaloms back and forth to change the angle before firing an inch-perfect shot into the roof of the goal!

5' Mbappe uses his pace down to the right wing to get past Jubal and play an inviting cross into the 18-yard box for the run of Messi, but Raveloson does just enough to poke it away from the foot of the Argentina international on the penalty spot.

3' The corner-kick eventually comes into the penalty area but it’s cleared temporarily by Marquinhos, who rises higher than Da Costa to win the aerial duel.

2' The referee has halted play ahead of Auxerre’s first corner of the match, with Verratti down on his knees following a poor tackle on Birama Toure. He looks to be shaken up but capable of continuing after consulting with the medical staff.

1' Paris Saint-Germain get the match underway from the kick-off!

Paris Saint-Germain make one alteration to the line-up that beat Ajaccio 5-0 last Saturday, with Zaire-Emery replacing the suspended Achraf Hakimi on the right flank.

Auxerre make two changes to the XI that lost to Brest one week ago, with Zedadka replacing Jeanvier to feature at wing-back, while Sinayoko is preferred to M’Changama in midfield.

PSG SUBS: Sergio Rico, Alexandre Letellier, Timothee Pembele, El Chadaille Bitshiabu, Serif Nhaga, Vitinha, Renato Sanches, Carlos Soler, Ismael Gharbi.

PSG XI (3-4-2-1): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Danilo Pereira, Sergio Ramos, Marquinhos; Juan Bernat, Fabian Ruiz, Marco Verratti, Warren Zaire-Emery; Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi; Hugo Ekitike.

AUXERRE SUBS: Donovan Leon, Julian Jeanvier, Youssouf M’Changama, Hamza Sakhi, Mathias Autret, Siriki Dembele, Gaetan Perrin, Matthis Abline, M’Baye Niang.

AUXERRE XI (3-5-2): Ionut Radu; Rayan Raveloson, Jubal, Souleymane Toure; Akim Zedadka, Lassine Sinayoko, Birama Toure, Han-Noah Massengo, Gideon Mensah; Nuno Da Costa, Gauthier Hein.

With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, let’s take a look at how the two sides are lining up - starting with our hosts!

A win for Paris Saint-Germain today would virtually wrap up a record-breaking 11th Ligue 1 title, with the capital club currently tied with Saint-Etienne for the most successful team in the division. Lens’ win earlier puts an added bit of pressure on the incumbent champions, whose six-point lead and far superior goal differential with a win today would seemingly put the league just out of the reach of Franck Haise’s Sang et Or.

With just three matches left in the season, Auxerre sit perilously close to the drop, with a single point separating them from Nantes in 17th. Christophe Pelissier’s side managed a key 2-1 win in the battle for survival against the aforementioned Nantes last month, however, Les Bleu et Blanc have since alternated draws and losses against sides higher up the table.

Hello and welcome to our LIVE commentary of the Ligue 1 fixture between Auxerre and Paris Saint-Germain!

Auxerre v PSG Live Commentary, 21/05/2023

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