PSG will finish the week at the top of Ligue 1 after the third victory in four league games of the Mauricio Pochettino era.
Like a return to normal after a first part of the season which had worried.
But the direct confrontations have not started for this Paris and it would be premature to conclude the return of the boss in this championship.
But the leader can even see Lille suffer in Rennes this Sunday when Lyon will close the 21st day with a trip to Saint-Etienne.
The launch pad for the new trainer seems ideal and this new release once again informs his choices.
The Argentine contrasts with his predecessor, Thomas Tuchel: a system, always the same - the 4-2-3-1 - and an eleven that moves as little as possible, a single change compared to Angers (0-1) with the exit of Moïse Kean and the second tenure of Mauro Icardi after that of the Champions Trophy against Marseille (2-1).
We must not leave the ENA to understand that he has his eleven in mind when Presnel Kimpembe will have completely finished with his multiple ailments, especially in the thigh.
The consistency of Pochettino even seems to indicate that it is in this 4-2-3-1 that he will appear on February 16 in the round of 16 of the Champions League against Barça.
Navas and Marquinhos taken out as a precaution
If Pochettino manages without encryption, he will not be able to draw major lessons from his team, at a time when Kylian Mbappé has done good to morale with in particular a double, the attackers in general with goals also from Neymar and Icardi.
Quickly reduced to ten (expulsion of the goalkeeper in the 19th), Montpellier could not resist anything and, when the Southerners no longer had the strength to run into a vacuum, they gave in by opening the floodgates, with three goals conceded in four minutes.
The first even intervened when they were nine on the lawn, the change of Florian Mollet dragging.
Next week, PSG will travel to Lorient, which has been deprived of matches for two days for health reasons.
We hope that the Hakes will have found players in good shape to give consistency to their opposition, but we have the right to doubt it.
In the meantime, the training of the former manager of Tottenham can be installed without pressure even if, as usual, the meeting did not spare the organizations with a Kimpembe prevented from starting (not on the scoresheet) and two new premature exits, with Keylor Navas at the break then Marquinhos.
Both as a precaution, it seems.
If the PSG of “Pocket” does not have time, its opponents give it some while by switching in February the PSG will have to increase the threat which it diffuses with the return of the Champions League.
For now, it's about transition matches, applying a method and the successes will help assimilate it.
If, in addition, they take the opportunity to regain confidence individually, with once again a Mbappé on all the right moves, but also the third goal in four outings for Icardi, then all this will not have been useless.
Match sheet
Half time:
1-0.
Spectators: in
camera.
Referee:
M. Delajod.
Goals.
Mbappé (34th, 63rd), Neymar (60th), Icardi (61st).
Warnings.
PSG: Neymar (76th), Verratti (82nd);
Montpellier: Omlin (16th), Mendes (45th).
Expulsion.
Montpellier: Omlin (19th).
PSG:
Navas (Rico, 46th) - Florenzi, Marquinhos (cap.) (Kehrer, 52nd), Diallo, Bakker (Bakker, 76th) - Verratti (cap, 52nd), Paredes (Danilo, 76th) - Di Maria, Neymar, Mbappé - Icardi (Sarabia, 83rd).
Entr.
:
Pochettino.
Montpellier:
Omlin - Souquet, Hilton (cap.), Mendes, Congré (Cozza, 68th) - Sambia, Le Tallec (Mavididi, 68th), Savanier, Ristic (Bertaud, 21st) - Mollet (Chotard, 35th) - Laborde (Wahi , 68th).
Entr.
:
Der Zakarian.
