Istanbul Basaksehir 0-2 PSG: Player ratings as Kean brace secures first win for French giants | Champions League 2020-21
PSG labored to a 2-0 win against Istanbul Basaksehir on Wednesday, as Moise Kean struck twice to guide his side back to winning ways in the Champions League.
However, it came at a cost as Neymar limped off early on with an injury and will potentially miss next week's daunting clash with RB Leipzig.
After losing 2-1 to Manchester United in the opening game, the pressure was firmly on PSG. They were listless during the first-half, though Kean dispatched two amazing deliveries from Kylian Mbappe after the break.
The victory keeps PSG hot on the coat tails of the Red Devils, who currently lead the group, whereas Basaksehir remain without a point after two games.
PSG player ratings:
Keylor Navas - 7/10
Another easy PSG clean sheet for the Costa Rican, who albeit wasn't tested enough by the hosts, did parry a few shots after the break. He also produced a pair of solid stops to deny Deniz Turuc and Edin Visca.
Alessandro Florenzi - 7/10
Florenzi was such a lively presence down the right hand side. He bursted forward to add an extra edge to PSG's attack, while also performing his defensive responsibilities with aplomb. His impact, however, waned after the break.
Danilo Pereira - 8/10
Arguably the best defender on the night, Danilo was rock solid at the back and had Enzo Crivelli in his back pocket. His positional awareness was second to none and made 10 clearances for PSG on the night - four more than any player on the field.
Presnel Kimpembe - 7/10
Though not as stellar as his Portuguese counterpart, Kimpembe nevertheless was a fine presence for PSG at the back. He misjudged a few headers, but combined well with Pereira to keep things tight.
Layvin Kurzawa - 7/10
Back in the PSG starting line-up and back with a bang. Kurzawa's aerial prowess ensured Istanbul didn't create anything when the ball was hoofed up, but also drove forward to overlap with Mbappe and Pablo Sarabia.
Angel Di Maria - 6.5/10
Not the best of nights for the Argentinian, who was back in the line-up but didn't produce anything spectacular. His link-up play with Mbappe wasn't devastating, but he did create one good opportunity for the latter, who blasted it over the bar from close range.
Ander Herrera - 6/10
It was a relatively quiet night for the Spaniard, as he failed to make an impact. He skied a header over the bar in the first-half, before reducing to a pedestrian for much of the second. The ex-Manchester United star was subbed off in the 87th minute.
Marquinhos - 7/10
After a couple of strong performances in the attack, the Brazilian looked to have ran out of steam. However, his defensive contributions were great, breaking Istanbul's attacking movements with tackles and jumping in to make clearances.
Neymar - N/A
Injury reared its ugly head on the Brazilian once again, as he was subbed off just 26 minutes into the match. This doesn't look good for Tuchel and PSG.
Kylian Mbappe - 7/10
Another frustrating night in Europe for the French superstar, who once again failed to truly light up his side. That wasn't for the lack of trying though, as Mbappe connected well with Sarabia down the flank. He even assisted both of Kean's goals, including one with a perfectly-weighted corner kick. Wasted two good chances too.
Mosie Kean - 8/10
After a relatively quiet first-half, the young Italian burst into life after the break, netting twice to lift the Parisiens to a hard-fought victory. His first-touch while making the finish for his second goal was awe-inspiring.
Substitutes
Pablo Sarabia - 7/10
He didn't make the most telling impact after coming on for the injured Neymar. However, the Spaniard got himself involved in the attack nonetheless, creating overloads down the left with his forward runs. He also tracked back to help out in the defense when Istanbul made a late surge.
Thilo Kehrer - 6.5/10
He replaced Florenzi in the 73rd minute as Tuchel looked to tighten it up at the back, but Kehrer looked out of sorts. He went into the book for a poor tackle on Edin Visca and also failed to connect with Mbappe towards the end.
Rafinha - 6.5/10
Rafinha too had about 15 minutes or so in the game. He tried to get involved in the attack and even drew a save out of Gunok in the closing stages.
Mitchell Bakker - N/A
The Dutchman came on in the closing stages of the game and didn't see much of the ball.
Idrissa Gueye - N/A
Gueye came on as a part of a double-substitution with Bakker and he too had little time to do anything.