PSG held to draw by battling Clermont | OneFootball

Kylian Mbappé and Paris Saint-Germain were left frustrated in a 0-0 draw away to struggling Clermont Foot 63 at the Stade Gabriel-Montpied on Saturday.

Clermont Foot 63 0-0 Paris Saint-Germain

THE MATCH

PSG had won handsomely on each of their two previous visits to Clermont, scoring 11 goals in the process, and they might have been expected to do the same this time given the respective form of the two sides. While Luis Enrique’s team were aiming to build on a 4-0 demolition of Olympique de Marseille last weekend, Clermont started the day bottom of the table with just a single point to their name.

The visitors were also able to call on Mbappé, who shook off the ankle injury which forced him off in the first half against Marseille and took his place in the starting line-up. The France superstar featured prominently in the first half, notably in the 19th minute when he set off on a rapid break down the left and provided a low centre for Ousmane Dembélé, whose low first-time strike was heading towards the far corner before Mory Diaw in the home goal tipped it around the post.

That became a theme, with Diaw in fine form throughout the afternoon. He parried a shot by Mbappé just after the half-hour mark and denied Randal Kolo Muani from the next action. Dembélé then met a flighted ball into the box by Vitinha only for Diaw to save again.

Mbappé booked for diving

It was Diaw’s opposite number Gianluigi Donnarumma who excelled right after the restart as he saved superbly from Shamar Nicholson before seeing Yohann Magnin hit the post from the follow-up. The Italian also parried an effort by Cheick Oumar Konaté in the 53rd minute, just before PSG broke and Mbappé sent a shot off the outside the post.

Mbappé’s afternoon was summed up when he was booked for simulation in the box 10 minutes from time, before Diaw somehow clawed away an effort by substitute Gonçalo Ramos. The Clermont goalkeeper then saved a Danilo Pereira header in injury time as the hosts held on.

The result means PSG remain adrift of top spot in the Ligue 1 Uber Eats table having won just three of their seven outings this season, while Clermont remain without a win but do move off the bottom, at least before Olympique Lyonnais play on Sunday.

THE PLAYER: Mory Diaw

Diaw’s career trajectory is well known now. He came through the ranks at PSG as a youngster but never played for the top team and left the club under a cloud in 2015. After a long spell abroad he returned to France last year when he joined Clermont and has since successfully restored his reputation in the land of his birth. This was arguably his best display yet in a Clermont shirt as he produced 10 saves, the most of his career in a Ligue 1 game.

THE STAT: 12

PSG’s points tally is their lowest seven games into a season since the Qatari-led takeover of 2011 that transformed the club.

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