Three days after his performance at Old Trafford (3-1) and before his last Champions League group stage meeting, Tuesday against Basaksehir, when it will be time to validate the ticket for the round of 16, the PSG returned to Ligue 1 where nothing really smiles on them lately.
An exceptional goal from Moise Kean and Mbappé's hundredth with Paris offered a welcome success, which echoes that obtained last year at the same place (3-1).
Without Neymar, Verratti and Kimpembe stayed at home to breathe, nor Marquinhos and Mbappé substitutes at kick-off, the Parisians were not however proud when embarking on their unusual 5-3-2.
“We're gaining momentum but it's time to be focused,” Leonardo, the sporting director, recalled at the microphone of Canal + before the match.
We still play against a team that is 2 points behind.
It's a complicated championship.
"
If the Montpellier residents had gone out in large numbers in the sunny afternoon to go to the shops in the city center which were finally open, the Mosson stadium was quite empty because of the camera.
But we can easily imagine the atmosphere that would have hovered there during the first period concluded by a scenario where the atmosphere warmed up suddenly.
New mental strength
Masters of the game, the Parisians led the score since the first goal in Ligue 1 of Dagba, opportunist on a center of Di Maria (0-1, 33rd).
In front of his bench, Thomas Tuchel finally no longer railed against his missed controls or the back passes from Herrera.
On the contrary, the coach applauded his men and threw "well done!"
»Satisfied.
Paris was then very close to making the break.
Rafinha rushed in front of goalkeeper Omlin who repelled with both hands his overpowered strike from the left (41st).
Too bad because twenty seconds later, the referee's watch vibrated to signal that Mavididi's shot had come in despite Navas' save (1-1, 41st).
In the process, the Costa Rican goalkeeper, captain for a night, was once again decisive with an exceptional save to prevent Mavididi from achieving the double (43rd).
The temperature was dropping but not the intensity.
Kean tumbled down to score a sublime goal (1-2, 77th).
Ready to come into play, Mbappé raised his arms with pleasure in the face of this crossed strike of the right.
Despite some fears, Paris did not crack, a sign of a new mental strength.
And as a symbol of an ultimately perfect evening, Mbappé, mute for 3 games, emerged to finally score his hundredth goal for the PSG jersey in 137 appearances.
MATCH SHEET
Half-time: 1-1
Goals.
Montpellier: Mavididi (41st).
PSG: Dagba (33rd), Kean (77th), Mbappé (90 + 1)
Warnings.
Montpellier: Savanier (71st);
PSG: Kurzawa (13th), Kean (23rd), Dagba (41st)
Montpellier: Omlin - Sambia, Mendes, Congré, Ristic - Mollet (Oyongo, 74th), Ferri, Savanier - Laborde, Yun (Dolly, 63rd) Mavididi (Skuletic, 74th).
Entr.
: Der Zakarian.
PSG: Navas (cap.) - Dagba (Kehrer, 64th), Pembélé, Diallo, Kurzawa, Bakker (Danilo Pereira, 64th) - Herrera (Paredes, 64th), Gueye (Ruiz-Atil, 78th), Rafinha - Kean (Mbappé , 78th) Di Maria.
Entr.
: Tuchel