Player ratings as PSG snatch last gasp winner at Lyon

A depleted Paris Saint-Germain side snatched a late 3-2 win against Lyon at the Groupama Stadium thanks to Joao Neves' late strike as Luis Enrique and his men moved back at the top of the league, just two points ahead of their rivals Marseille.

Player rating as PSG wins it late against Lyon

Lucas Chevalier – 4

It feels harsh to pick on Chevalier, whose start to life in Paris has been difficult. In truth, however, the young French goalkeeper will know it was another disappointing performance on his part. Not only was his positioning all wrong for Lyon’s second goal, an expert chip from Ainsley Maitland Niles, but he also looked unconvincing almost every single time he was required to claim a cross or to even catch the ball – often electing to punch the ball away even under minimal pressure.

It is genuinely surprising that Chevalier has found it this hard in Paris: he was excellent last season at Lille, and was being tracked by many of Europe’s top clubs. He can be a fine goalkeeper so it truly does seem as though this is a confidence issue for the young Frenchman who has yet to really kick on since his summer move.

Warren Zaire-Emery – 7

Seven is perhaps a tad generous given the sum of Zaire-Emery’s performance, but it’s worth noting that he did score a fine goal, and was playing out of his natural position, covering for the injured Achraf Hakimi at Right-back. In truth the young Frenchman often looked slightly uncertain in the role, unable to really pick anyone out with his crosses, although he was neat enough with his passing, and looked assured and solid under pressure. His goal was excellently taken, however, and it makes up for him losing his man on Lyon’s first goal, finished off by Alfonso Moreira. Overall a good performance that Zaire-Emery will hope he can improve on if called upon to play right-back again after the international break.

William Pacho – 6.5

An unusually shaky performance from the usually impeccable William Pacho. Something about the speed and interplay of the Lyon attackers seemed to fry the radar of the Ecuadorian centre-half, who often looked slightly uncomfortable both on the ball and in defensive actions. One of the most notable examples was a first half instance when a high Lyon press on him would have led to a one vs one had the referee not generously elected to blow the whistle. Nothing catastrophic, but Pacho has established himself as one of the best defenders in Europe and so should be held to the very highest standards.

Illia Zabarnyi – 6

Like his centre back partner, Zabarnyi also struggled at times last night. The French commentators covering the game mentioned that it seemed to be his shakiest game since his summer transfer from Bournemouth, and although he made two vital blocks late on to deny a Lyon winner, he overall was far from serene.

Lucas Hernandez – 6.5

Nothing spectacular from the French full-back but Hernandez was solid enough for the most part. He did fairly well in the defensive duels he had to undertake, and put in a few dangerous crosses which were not always met by PSG’s attackers. He also played with energy, pressing into midfield and forcing a few turnovers, a trait that Luis Enrique will very much appreciate. Like the rest of the defence, he struggled more in the second half and was eventually replaced by Marquinhos.  

Vitinha – 9

A really sensational performance from one of the very best midfielders in the world. Vitinha got two assists, a brilliant sweeping through ball for Zaire-Emery’s opener and then an excellent tenacious press on Tanner Tessman for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s goal. Vitinha now has a total of six ligue un assists in 11 games this season, the most of any player. The contrast between the two assists highlighted the versatility of the Portuguese midfieler’s play: both guile and guts on full display. Apart from these two moments of excellence he was brilliant on the ball, keeping things ticking over nicely and never looking shaky as he controlled the tempo for the away team. He played a big part in swinging the pendulum back PSG’s way after both Lyon goals.

Joao Neves – 8

Not as spectacular as Vitinha is his overall play, but Neves proved to be the match winner, as his later bullet header secured the win for the Parisians. It’s not the first time that Neves has come up with an important goal, but he truly has added goalscoring to his arsenal in a more consistent way this season, with this being his fifth goal in all competitions already this season, only two short of his total of last campaign (including the club world cup). Apart from the goal he put in his usual hard working shift, and it was a welcome return from an injury hit start to the campaign for the midfielder.

Fabien Ruiz – 7

Ruiz being back fit at the same time as Neves meant that PSG were finally able to field their first choice midfield three in the league, something that has occurred all too rarely this season for PSG. Overall Ruiz played well, with his usual snappy passing and good link up with the forward line. Perhaps not fully match fit, he was replaced on the 70-minute mark.

Kang-In Lee – 8

A really good performance from Lee Kang-In, who proved that he is a worthy attacking option in the absence of first teamers such as Desiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé. He impressed throughout with his dribbling and crisp passing, causing problems for Nicolás Tagliafico all night long before eventually getting him sent off late on in the game. He also tested Dominik Greif with a fine shot in the second half, before providing the match winning assist with his late corner. A strong display.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - 7

Not perhaps Kvaratskhelia at his mesmeric best, but still a strong performance from the Georgian, who was a thorn in Lyon’s left hand side for much of the first half, and who took his goal with expert precision. His influence on the game perhaps slightly dwindled in the second half, and he was eventually replaced by Ibrahim Mbaye.

Senny Mayulu – 6

Not necessarily his fault, but it’s telling that there was a strong sense that PSG were lacking a focal point and it was Mayulu who occupied the central striker position. In truth, the young Frenchman never really got a foothold in the game, and struggled to impose himself against the Lyon backline. He was the first player replaced.

Substitutes:

Quentin Ndjantou – 6: Looked raw, although was being played out of position.

Ibrahim Mbaye – 7: Good entry into the game. Was a useful outlet down the left and showed good pace.

Marquinhos – 6.5: Brought on to solidify the game and did so for the most part.

Gonçalo Ramos – 6: N/A