“
I'm not jumping at the ceiling, I would just say it's a big relief.
Christophe Galtier can indeed breathe a little.
After three defeats in a row (OM, Monaco, Bayern) and fire on all floors, XXL pressure, PSG found their way to victory on Sunday, against Lille (4-3), during the 24th day of the championship of France.
An important success and which will allow Paris to be assured of leaving Marseille at the top of the Ligue 1 standings next Sunday.
But there is nothing to brag about on the Parisian side.
Not on the content, not on the quality of play deployed or the defensive solidity.
To discover
Calendar and results Ligue 1
League 1 standings
Without Marquinhos or Achraf Hakimi but with his full "MNM", the Red and Blue went through all the emotions and very close to corrections before a Hitchcockian "happy ending" on a free kick from Leo Messi (90 + 5).
“
We are lucky to make a good start by leading 2-0... and then wreckage!
Total concentration, while the players were very determined in the first 20-25 minutes.
Suddenly, we lost intensity, in replacement, and we gave a lot of space to this great Lille team
", plagues Galtier, who retains these "
air holes
" as much as the "
nice reaction
" of his players and the "
communion
with a Parc des Princes that never stopped pushing, even when Losc took control (2-3 in the 69th minute) and everything seemed to be going the wrong way, with a (very) generous penalty for Lille (58th), another forgotten for Paris and the injuries of Nuno Mendes (31st) and Neymar Jr (51st).
Read also PSG-Lille notes: Mbappé as boss, Messi as savior
No fracture for "Ney", but...
Under the fire of criticism lately, “Ney” has also made sparks – a goal and an assist – before leaving, in tears, evacuated on a stretcher.
Big sprained right ankle for the Brazilian, but "
no fracture
", as the club announced on Sunday evening.
“
When everyone is there, the other teams have a lot to worry about.
I hope he will come back quickly because he is an essential player for us
, ”says Kylian Mbappé, who opened the scoring (11th) and scored the equalizing goal (87th).
"
I'm not 100% physically yet.
I draw from the 45th to the 60th.
Afterwards, it was pride that spoke.
There wasn't much energy left but we didn't want to lose, it was out of the question
."
, slipping in passing that he was not addressing a spade to Neymar when he invited his partners to "
eat well and sleep well
" after the defeat against Bayern on Tuesday in the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League (0- 1).
Read alsoCrazy, crazy, crazy scenario, Neymar on the mat… Favorites and scratches from our special correspondent after PSG-Lille
Still, this always imperfect PSG swung into gentle madness on a kick from Messi.
Missing for most of the game, the Argentine world champion converted a free kick in the 95th minute, at the end of the suspense.
"
On Leo Messi's goal, we all had a feeling of liberation, of joy
," relishes Vitinha, noting that "
this victory, this goal, is important for the group, cohesion.
It wasn't a good match, but it's a good victory
", summarizes the Portuguese, recruited last summer and who speaks French, it is to be underlined, like the excellent entry of the youngster (16 years) Warren Zaire-Emery.
“
He has personality.
And to play here, it's essential
, ”notes Mbappé.
The difference is Messi and Mbappé.
Paulo Fonseca, Lille coach
Personality, yes.
Pride too, pride for these Parisians who knew how to “
transcend themselves
” according to Presnel Kimpembe.
It was in pain and above all... thanks to the talent of the stars.
“
The difference is Messi and Mbappé
,” confirms Lille coach Paulo Fonseca.
In this case, the three thieves of the "MNM" scored on Sunday, they who "weigh" 39 of the 59 Parisian goals in L1 since the start of the season.
Missing for 94 minutes, Leo Messi offers victory to Paris Saint-Germain with a magic paw on a free kick.
SARAH MEYSSONNIER / REUTERS
It is up to Christophe Galtier to build on this difficult but oh so tasty and precious victory in view of the current context, an explosive context in all areas.
“
The players put a lot of heart, generosity, a lot of determination into it.
As much as I can remember what has not been good and good, and I will talk about it with my players because in our situation we cannot give so many hopes to a good team when we make such a start”,
decrypts Galtier, who knew well that a defeat could have put him in great difficulty, or even pushed him towards the exit.
“
I have the permanent support of Nasser Al-Khelaïfi and Luis Campos
,” he tempers.
There is work...
You only have to see the state of trance in which the whole group fell on the goal of the "Pulga" to understand the value of this crazy success if not brilliant.
A click ?
Maybe.
But there is work, offensively, defensively, everything.
Another three goals conceded, it's the second time in a row in L1.
“
The match was not great, we made a lot of mistakes, a lot of concentration jumps.
And facing a team that plays and has quality, it pays cash... But we have shown that, even when we are not on the best day, even when the context is not necessarily favorable, we are a different team with different players
“Says Kylian Mbappé, who once again behaved like a boss.
The tree that hides the forest, will say the most critical... And the 24-year-old star concludes: “
We are always able to get out of it.
Even in Munich on March 8?
