Many people do not care for Paris Saint-Germain. Yes, Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe are three of the most enjoyable footballers to watch on the planet, but together, the whole sum of PSG can aggravate with how much it insists upon itself.
For every athlete, there are times when you try something that just doesn’t come off, unless you’re Neymar playing against Dijon. But for those who aren’t Neymar, it’s important to keep trying new moves, at least if you’re on the offensive end. This Florian Thauvin goal vs Caen was wonderful proof of persistence paying off as the Marseille winger ensured a 2-0 victory for his side in Ligue 1 action Friday.
On Wednesday, Neymar put on the greatest individual display in the history of Ligue 1. The Brazilian scored four goals, including a sublime free kick and ridiculous solo effort, while adding two assists in PSG’s 8-0 win over Dijon. Anyway, his fourth goal was roundly jeered by supporters inside the Parc des Princes and that’s all anybody’s really talking about now. It’s sensational, it’s surreal and it’s sadly understandable.
Here’s a tip for all you defenders out there: If you are called for a foul just outside your box and want to fall to the ground holding your face in disbelief, at least do it in front of the ball so the opponents can’t punish you like in this Radamel Falcao goal vs Nice on Tuesday.
In September, the impossibly talented French attacker Dimitri Payet proudly confirmed that he is, in fact, a massive "dickhead:" “It’s one of my specialties,” he said. “It’s a little game. When I want to piss everyone off, I do it.”
Ligue 1 referee Tony Chapron has been suspended by the French Football Federation (FFF) “until further notice” following his insanely villanous actions at the end of Paris Saint-Germain’s 1-0 victory over Nantes on Sunday.
Paris Saint-Germain are up 3-0 on Stade Rennes in the Coupe de France before they pull this, and you probably feel some kind of way about that. You should, because it’s ultimately meaningless in the face of what we’re building up to: the greatest Round of 16 match in the history of the UEFA Champions League. That’s the back-to-back champions Real Madrid vs. this record-setting PSG side.
It’s not an easy thing to break into the Paris Saint-Germain midfield as an attack-minded 21-year-old. With a guaranteed front three of Edinson Cavani, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe balanced by the automatic midfield selections of Adrien Rabiot and Marco Verratti, there’s only one remaining spot outside of defense for the likes of Angel Di Maria, Julian Draxler, Javier Pastore, Thiago Motta and Giovani Lo Celso (the 21-year-old referenced above) to battle for.
Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere has responded to rumors linking striker Mario Balotelli with a return to Serie A (Milan and Inter being the destinations bandied about) by saying, “Mario leaving? No, that’s impossible. You know his importance. It’s unimaginable.”
Well, happy birthday Kylian Mbappe, ya filthy animal! Today, December 20, Mbappe turns 19. The question of how good he’ll be a few years from now is dwarfed by the immediate: how good is this kid right now? Yes, today’s highlight is from a match against yo-yo club SM Caen, but my word.