Welcome to Sportstar’s live blog of the Ligue 1 match, Lorient vs PSG, being played at the Stade Yves Allainmat - Le Moustoir in Lorient, France. This is Neeladri Bhattacharjee bringing you the pre-match buildup minute-by-minute updates of this clash.
Goal line clearance! PSG attacks on the counter, with Hakimi, Neymar and Ekitike involved. Hakimi delays a shot and crosses to Ekitite, but his shot is cleared at the last moment by Kalulu off the goal-line.
Save! The corner kick sees the ball come off the melee in the penalty box and finally Ekitike gets to the ball to shoot it on target. Mannone, as he has done throughout the game so far, makes another god save.
Mbappe flicks the ball into the box for Neymar and Kalulu and Le Goff clash in a bid to get to it. Neymar gets a chance to exploit, but Innocent gets to him to force a corner kick.
Shot! Le Bris carries the ball along the left flank, releases Ponceau and then crosses in the centre. Ponceau’s shot flies over the net, causing no danger for Donnarumma and PSG
Lorient marches forward, with Kalulu getting the ball up front. He passes to Ouattara, but the final cross comes to nothing with a poor shot in the circumstances, by the Lorient winger.
PSG starts another attack on the counter, with Neymar and Mbappe creating a chance out of nothing. From a Lorient corner kick, PSG clears it with Neymar at the end of it. The Brazilian delivers a long ball for Mbappe, but Mannone gets to it first.
Save! Mbappe sprints into the box with the ball, beating two defenders and shoots on target. But Mannone makes another good save to keep the score 1-0 to PSG for now.
Chance! Hakimi makes a run along the right flank and delivers a cross for Neymar. The Brazilian, who was heavily marked, passes to Ekitike, but the midfielder’s shot flies over the net.
Pinball in the midfield continues as either side looks for an opportunity to attack on the counter. Both sides have four men in its back line to mitigate any chances of damage.
Ramos whips in a low cross, which is headed away by Lorient as the host attacks on the counter. Moffi makes a run with three PSG defenders around him. Just before his shot, Marquinhos makes a sliding challenge to deny a shot on target.
Mendes makes a run along the left flank, beats the full-backs and crosses in the centre. But Lorient clears the ball away as PSG continues to ask questions to the Lorient defence.
PSG’s Nuno Mendes, front, duels for the ball with Lorient’s Enzo Le Fee during the French Ligue 1 match between FC Lorient and Paris Saint-Germain. | Photo Credit: AP
Hakimi tries to get the ball rolling along the flanks for PSG, but his ball goes out for a goal kick. The Moroccan expresses surprise as he thought it had gone out, off a deflection from Lorient, for a corner kick.
Le Fee makes a lovely turn in the midfield to start an attack, beats his marker and passes to Le Bris. But his shot, though stopped by Donnarumma, is not stopped as Ramos tracks back to take charge and clear the ball.
PSG tries an attack with long balls. Verratti gets a ball across to Nuno Mendes on his left, but Ouattara intercepts and passes to Kalulu to stop that attack for now. The last time the sides met, PSG had won the match with a 5-1 scoreline at full-time.
Lorient tries to build an attack along the right flank as Kalulu gets the ball rolling along the right wing. But Danilo makes a key interception, clearing the ball as as PSG looks to defend its slender lead.
Forced change for Lorient! Mvogo, who was involved in the error leading to the goal, has injured himself in the process and Mannone replaces him, coming off the bench, making his debut this season.
Save! Lorient builds up slowly for an attack, which sees Moffi finally cross for Le Fee, but the final shot on goal lacks any force as Donarumma makes a save.
Save! Lorient attacks on the counter, with Moffi carrying the ball into the final third and passes to Le Bris, whose shot is stopped andPSG starts an attack against the run of play. Neymar gets the ball in the penalty box and shoots on target as Mvogo makes a good save to deny the opening goal.
Moffi takes a corner kick, which is met and shot by Le Bris, whose shot is blocked by Danilo. The corner kick that follows is cleared by Marquinhos.
Shot! Mbappe tries an early attempt on goal with a right-footed curler, which is caught easily by Mvogo.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
In the last 20 meetings between PSG and Lorient, Paris Saint-Germain has won 14 matches, lost two and drawn the remaining four matches. The last win for Lorient came in January 2021, when it beat PSG 3-2 at home.
PLAYER TO WATCH OUT - NUNO MENDES
Nuno Mendes has been one of the most promising full-backs in club football and proved his worth wight after making his comeback from an injury in the previous match. Coming on from the bench against Juventus, Mendes scored within the first minute to win it for the Ligue 1 side in Turin.
FORM GUIDE
PSG has not lost a single match this season and comes into the match after a 2-1 away win against Juventus in the Champions League. Lorient, on the other hand, has two wins in its last five matches and comes into the game after a 1-2 loss to Nice.
Lorient’s last five matches:
- ⦿ Lorient 1-2 Nice
- ⦿ Troyes 2-2 Lorient
- ⦿ Lorient 0-0 Reims
- ⦿ Brest 1-2 Lorient
- ⦿ Lorient 2-1 Lille
PSG’s last five matches:
- ⦿ Juventus 1-2 PSG
- ⦿ PSG 4-3 Troyes
- ⦿ PSG 7-2 Maccabi Haifa
- ⦿ AC Ajjacio 0-3 PSG
- ⦿ PSG 1-0 Marseille
STARTING LINEUPS
Lorient: Mvogo - Kalulu, Laporte, Talbi, Le Goff - Innocent, Le Fée - Ouattara, Ponceau, Le Bris - Moffi
PSG: Donnarumma - Hakimi, Ramos, Marquinhos, Mendes - Verratti, Danilo, Vitinha - Neymar - Ekitike, Mbappé
MATCH PREVIEW
Paris Saint-Germain, the only unbeaten team in Ligue 1 will look to continue its winning run when it visits Lorient for Round 14 of Ligue 1 on Sunday.
The French Champion has been not drawn a match since October 12 and is without any loss this season. However, PSG, like its previous fixture, will miss out on one of the forwards of its front triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
Against Juventus, Neymar missed out because of a suspension while this time, it is Messi, who is set to miss with an injury.
Lionel Messi has some inflammation on his Achilles tendon and is being rested for Paris Saint-Germain’s trip to Lorient on Sunday as a precautionary measure.
PSG said Saturday that the Argentina star, who will look to win the World Cup for the first time in his stellar career, is expected to resume training next week.
PSG will then have one more game, at home against Auxerre next Sunday, before Messi heads to Qatar. The 35-year-old Messi has been in great form for league leader PSG this season, netting seven league goals to go with a league-high 10 assists. The record seven-time Ballon d’Or winner also has four goals and four assists in the Champions League.
Messi has netted nine goals in his past three games for Argentina, including a five-goal haul against Estonia at the end of last season. He holds the national record with 90 goals for Argentina, including eight hat tricks.
Defender Presnel Kimpembe also has a minor Achilles tendon issue and is being rested for Lorient. He hopes to line up in central defense for defending champion France at the World Cup.
PSG sits on top of the league table with 35 points, two more than second placed Lens, with a game in hand and a win here will take its cushion to five points.
Lorient, on the other hand, sits fourth in the table and a win for it will take it to second, just three points below Lens.
(with inputs from AP)