Hello and welcome to the highlights from Sportstar’s coverage of the Reims vs PSG Ligue 1 match.
That’s the fulltime whistle. PSG drops points but takes a three point lead over Marseille in the points table. The game got off to a slow start and the chances were limited, but the tone of the game was set by Ramos’ red card in the 41st minute. The Spanish player screamed at the referee and was sent off for dissent. Reims enjoyed the better chances in the second half but it was Neymar who had the opportunity to put the game to rest. Neymar got a shot at goal from a pass by Mbappe but he sent the ball wide. Vitinha got a sight of goal as well but could not convert the chance. Neymar huffed and puffed to pull out a late winner but Reims saw the game out and grabbed a point from the game. PSG now moves to its home tie against Benfica in the Champions League before hosting Marseille next week in the French league.
Van Bergen steps to take the free-kick from the right. The ball is met by Agbadou but his header goes above the goal and that is the last meaningful action of the game.
This time Mbappe gets a yellow card! He lashes out a tackle at Gravillon and another episode of pushing and pulling breaks out between the two teams.
Neymar’s free-kick is cleared and Reims is charging forward in a counter. Neymar charges back too and prevents the attack. The referee stops the game and hands a yellow card to Neymar who is laughing in disbelief and suggesting that his tackle was a shoulder push.
There is a scuffle in the middle. Neymar is fouled on the edge of Reims box and Hakimi charges up to confront the Reims player. Mbappe and other Paris players get involved too. The referee dishes out cards for Hakimi and Gravillon, the two who started the scuffle.
PSG Substitution 87’
Another chance missed by Reims! This time it is Balogun. He receives a cross from the left and he jumps higher than Danilo. His header is guided in the right direction but takes too much height and goes over the goal.
Mukiele’s long run starts a move for Paris. Ruiz gets the ball in midfield and he plays a dink over the top to Vitinha. The Portuguese heads it back into Mbappe’s feet but Reims steals the ball and breaks out onto a counter. The move yields a corner for the home team but Marquinhos is able to prevent it from scoring.
Reims Substitution - 83’
PSG gets another entry into Reims penalty area when Mbappe is feeded a long ball. The Frenchman tries the shot on the first attempt but it takes a deflection and goes out for a corner.
Reims Substitution - 79’
Vitinha sends it high! PSG builds an attack from the right flank where Mbappe moves the ball in and passes to Neymar in the middle. The Brazilian skips past three Reims shirts and moves the ball further left. He then passes to Vitinha who is behind him but the Portuguese’s curling effort goes over the cross bar.
Reims Substitution - 76’
PSG threatens to build another attack. Vitinha and Neymar combine yet again to the ball into a dangerous area. It is with Mbappe who tries to beat Locko on the right wing but fails. Reims moves the ball out of danger.
Neymar wins a free-kick for PSG after he is tripped. Sarabia takes it and curls the ball in. Neymar jumps and meets the ball but is not able to change its direction towards the goal. No harm done.
Neymar is clipped at by a Reims player and he is not happy about it. He charges to the player and confronts him. The referee intervenes and has to calm the Brazilian down.
That is heroic defending by Danilo. A Reims player is through on goal but Danilo slides in and moves the ball out of the attacker’s path. The second ball lands with another Reims player who shoots but Danilo yet again steps in and deflects the shot wide. The corner yields a shot on target for Reims but it is not able to beat Donnarumma.
Neymar puts it wide! A chance goes begging for PSG. Fabian Ruiz gets the ball from Locko who is trying a fancy back heel pass. The ball lands up with Mbappe who feeds it to Neymar. The angle forces Neymar to take a left-footed shot but he has plenty of time. He fails to even test the keeper and sends it wide.
Neymar is caught on the foot by Gravillon and he is crying out in pain and is down on the ground. The referee does not show a card to the Reims player. Galtier is clearly unhappy about the decision and the referee has to stop and have a word with the PSG boss.
A shot by Neymar! PSG wins a free-kick after Mbappe is fouled. The ball is 29 metres from the goal. The Brazilian steps up and takes the set piece but his shot is aimed right in the middle and is no real trouble for Diouf.
The corner is taken short and Mbappe has the ball. He is able to cross and find Danilo. But his header goes sailing over the bar.
Neymar and Vitinha combine to build an attack for PSG. Vitinha plays it wide to Mukiele on the right. He tries a through ball to Mbappe and succeeds but the subsequent pass from Mbappe is blocked. A corner for PSG.
Another corner for PSG as Flips’ cross from the right side is deflected out by Marquinhos. It wins another corner but cannot threaten the goal. The score remains 0-0.
Paris Substitution - 57’
Corner for Reims. Lopy tries a cross from the left side. Flips is there in the box waiting but Soler intervenes and sends the ball out for a corner. Meanwhile, Neymar is lacing up his boots on the bench.
Saved by Donnarumma! The Italian bails the Paris outfit yet again. Zeneli has the ball high up the pitch on the left wing. He cuts in and nutmegs Ruiz. He moves forward and drills a low shot on goal. Donnarumma has to get down on his right side to keep the ball out.
PSG has switched to a traditional back four after Ramos’ red card. Mukiele and Bernat are playing as full-backs rather than wing-backs. Vitinha, Soler, Sarabia and Ruiz in the midfield while Mbappe is the lone man up front. Reims enjoying possession with PSG disadvantaged.
Reims gets the ball into play for the second period. The home side will walk to the half with belief and smelling an opportunity to take three points against the 10-man PSG.
Marco Verratti is being replaced by Vitinha. The Italian midfielder was cautioned with a yellow card for a foul when Ramos got a red card. Will Galtier need to get Neymar on today?
It is unbelievable! I don’t know if the referees have something against us. They have a tough job and should control the game. But it (red card to Ramos) was too much.
The talking point of the first half has been the red card to Ramos. PSG has been devoid of creativity in the absence of Neymar and Messi. It did create a chance but the miss by Mbappe ensured the score remained 0-0. Reims has been creating chances and and has forced a save by Donnarumma. The game is nicely set for the second half given that PSG is looking to open up an advantage in the Ligue 1 table with a win. A few problems for Galtier. Let’s see how he solves them.
Sarabia is charging forward with the ball. He is tackled from behind and falls to the ground. The referee does not deem the tackle to be a foul and asks play to continue. The player remains down and referee asks the play to stop.
Nearly a goal for Reims! The home side wins a corner. The first cross is met at the far post and played across the face of PSG goal. Agbadou pokes at it but sends the ball over the bar.
Red card for Ramos! PSG is down to 10 men. Lopy breaks out into a run and skips past multiple players. Verratti steps in and brings the player down. The referee is going to his pocket to pull out a yellow card for Verratti when Sergio Ramos says something to him. He shows the first yellow to Ramos for dissent. That does not deter the former Real Madrid player and the referee goes back to his pocket and pulls out a red card this time.
A yellow card to Marshall Munetsi. He tries to steal the ball from Soler but is fraction of a second late and catches the Spaniard’s foot instead. Free-kick to PSG.
Donnarumma saves! A cross comes in from the right flank. Munetsi is in the box. He takes the ball on his chest and connects a volley. The Italian, though, is able to send the ball out of danger.
What a save by Diouf! How did Mbappe miss that? The move starts with Danilo finding Bernat on the left. BErnat plays it to Soler in the centre of the field. The Spain international spots Mbappe’s run and plays a perfectly weighted pass on his path. Mbappe aims for the far corner but ends up hitting it in the centre. Diouf steps up from his line and saves. Mukiele gets the second ball but his shots has too much power and it goes sailing over the cross bar.
Juan Bernat wins the ball high up the pitch and plays a pass to Soler who lets the ball fall onto his right foot. This takes too long and Reims is able to take the ball away from him.
Reims concedes a free-kick. Ramos plays a pass to Mukiele and the right-back waits for the ball to come to him. Lopy spots the chance to press and charges ahead. Mukiele is able to put his body in between and win a free-kick.
Chance for Reims! That’s poor from PSG. First, Danilo loses the ball and plays it straight to an opponent shirt. PSG then fails to clear the ball on multiple occasions. The ball rolls towards Lopy on the edge of the box and his attempt goes over the post. That could have been a goal for the home team.
The game stays in the PSG half as Reims is trying a collective press on PSG. Mbappe cuts out a slightly frustrated expression amid the lack of chances on goal.
Carlos Soler plays a pass from the centre of the field to the right wing where Mbappe takes the ball and charges forward. The French striker is unable to sort his feet out in time and the Reims defence steals the ball from him.
Reims has grown into the game in the last few minutes. On this occasion, Zeneli makes a run in behind the PSG back line and aims to collect a Flips pass. The pass is accurate and perfectly weighted but Danilo tackles from behind and saves PSG. The last touch came off Zeneli and referee awards a goal-kick.
What a save by Diouf! Fabian Ruiz takes a left footed shot from outside the penalty area. The ball is going into the top left corner until Diouf dives to his right and sends it out for a corner.
PSG is looking for an entry into the Reims box. It is able to do so after Verratti plays a chipped pass to Sarabia but the Spaniard strikes a Reims defender in the face by accident.
A crucial clearance by Danilo. Reims is able to make an entry into the PSG penalty area. A pass is played into the six-yard box but Danilo clears it before Flips can connect with the ball.
Zeneli wins the ball and tries to runs across the field and build a counter attack. Mukiele ultimately clips him and gives away a free-kick.
PSG is in complete control. The visiting side has seen much of the ball and dictating play. Reims, though, has not allowed any space to make a threatening attack.
Reims wins a corner after Marquinhos thwarts an attack by the home team. The delivery from the set-piece is poor and Bernat clears it without any trouble. The PSG captain then gives away a free-kick after he fouls Reims forward Zeneli.
A chance for Paris! It keeps the ball for a major part of the opening two minutes. Sarabia drives the ball from the right side and plays it to the left wing to Bernat. Bernat aims a cross across the face of the goal but no PSG shirt to connect with it and score a goal.
Mbappe rolls the ball into action and we’re underway at the Stade Auguste Delaune.
Players are out on the field. The toss is done and the players have exchanged the opening handshakes.
The Parisian club has conceded just five goals in the league so far. The best in the league. Donnarumma has kept five clean sheets.
The start of the match is just 15 minutes away. Stay tuned.
Played - 16, PSG - 11, Reims - 3, Draw - 2
PSG is flying high at first place in La Liga. Out of 9 matches, it has won eight at drawn one. Reims, meanwhile, has managed just one win in its nine games so far. It is 17th in the points table with seven points.
The teams faced each other in January, the second tie of the 2021/22 season. Ramos, Verratti and Pereira scored for the Parisians.
Reims : Diouf, Gravillon, Agbadou, Abdelhamid, Munetsi, Zeneli, Lopy, Matusiwa, Locko, Flips, Balogun
PSG : Donnarumma - Mukiele, Ramos, Marquinhos, Bernat, Danilo, Fabian Ruiz, Soler, Sarabia, Mbappe
Neymar is benched! Mbappe starts for Paris Saint Germain. Pablo Sarabia replaces Messi in attack.
The second-placed team in Ligue 1, Olymique Marseille, lost 1-2 to Ajaccio. This means a win for PSG will take it five points clear at the top.
PSG’s star-studded frontline will see some changes today with Messi ruled out of the match. Kylian Mbappe, though, in the squad might also be benched after a throat infection.
PREVIEW
Lionel Messi will miss Paris Saint-Germain’s trip to Reims with a calf problem. The team is also likely to be without the services of Kylian Mbappe is recovering from a sore throat and “trained in the gym” but he is a doubt for the match
Messi scored PSG’s goal in a 1-1 draw against Benfica in the Champions League, and was replaced by Pablo Sarabia with nine minutes to go.
Messi and Mbappe were on the scoresheet the last time PSG played in Ligue 1 which helped it beat Nice by two goals to one.
The rest to Mbappe and Messi is all the more important given that PSG hosts Benfica on Tuesday and the following Sunday faces bitter Ligue 1 rivals Marseille, who are just two points behind in the Ligue 1 table going into this weekend’s matches.
Their absence should not be a big problem against Reims which lies 17th in the points table, having won just one of its nine matches.
WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH
The Ligue 1 match, Reims vs PSG, is scheduled to kick-off at 12:30 AM IST on Sunday.
The match will be live telecast on Sports18 and Sports18 HD. Sports18 is available on Tata Play (Channel No. 488), Airtel Digital (Channel No. 293), JioTV+ (Channel No. 262 – SD, 261 – HD) and Sun Direct (Channel No. 505).
It will be live streamed on Voot Select and JioTV.
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