Ndjantou scores first ever goal as PSG narrowly beat Metz

Quentin Ndjantou scored his first ever senior goal last night, as the 18-year-old Frenchman tapped in from close range to double PSG’s leads after Ramos’s opener. In truth, it wasn’t a classic performance from the Champions, who would have hoped for a more serene, less hard fought victory against the side at the foot of the table, but they will be happy to get the three points under their belt and especially for young Ndjantou, who Enrique heaped praise on after the game.

Quentin Ndjantou shines as Paris edge past Metz

Enrique didn’t hold back about the youngster after the game, saying: ‘I think he is the surprise of the season. He is capable of running in behind, with and without the ball. He can come from a long way back, from behind the defenders, and can play both in midfield and in attack. He’s a quality player and we have very high hopes for him.’ Fans of PSG will be delighted at Enrique’s enthusiasm about youngsters, which has seen him now integrate three attackers (Senny Mayulu, Ibrahim Mbaye as well as Ndjantou) into the first team as semi-regular starters.

Ndajantou, born in 2007, has been part of the youth set up at Paris Saint-Germain since 2020, winning consecutive under 19 league titles with the club’s youth side. His eventual integration into the first team is testament to the desire at PSG to have an academy that is a genuine pipeline to the first team and not just a machine for profit. The youngster’s breakthrough is even more remarkable given the amount of competition for places in Ndjantou’s position.

Desiré Doué also marked his return to Ligue 1 action with a well taken goal, slotting cooly past Metz shotstopper Jonathan Fischer in the second half. Ibrahim Mbaye was another standout, brilliantly creating Ndjantou’s goal and proving a constant threat to the Metz backline all game long with his persistant dribbling and ability to take on the fullback.

Overall the emergence of these youngsters is a positive sign. It gives Enrique a lot of opportunity to rest first choice players in Ligue Un games, in order to keep them fresh for big Champions League clashes, and also of course gives him interesting options to use off the bench (or even from the start) on the aforementioned big European nights.

PSG will now face Flamengo in the final of newly created FIFA intercontinental cup on the 17th, and both Ndjantou and Mbaye will feel as though their performances last night will have them in with a chance of starting the game. PSG will have to travel to Doha in Qatar before Wednesday in order to take part in this showpiece game that has taken the place of the ‘Club World Cup’ – it will be a nice opportunity for the Parisians to wrap up 2025, comfortably the best year in the history of the club, with yet another piece of silverware.