Ranking PSG's 5 best players against Reims | Ligue 1 2021-22
Having endured a couple of stalemates in their last three Ligue 1 matches, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) returned to form with an emphatic win over Reims on Sunday.
Goals from Marco Verratti, Sergio Ramos and Danilo Perreira, alongside an own goal by Wout Faes, ensured a comfortable 4-0 victory for the runaway leaders. The massive win saw PSG extend their advantage at the top of the table to nine points after 22 rounds of French top-flight football this season.
Playing away from at the Parc des Princes, no one expected PSG to drop points. However, Reims did not seem to care much about their odds and came at the hosts with all their might. They called Keylor Navas into action a couple of times, but luckily for the leaders, the Costa Rican shot-stopper was up to the task.
PSG’s first goal came through Verratti just before half-time, which seemed rather unfair on the visitors who had fought valiantly until that point. PSG kept piling on the pressure in the second half and Reims were unable to cope with the onslaught.
Sergio Ramos scored the second in the 62nd minute, before Faes’ 67th-minute own goal took the game out of Reims’ reach. Danilo scored the fourth and final goal of the game in the closing embers of the match to ensure a 4-0 win for the hosts.
Lionel Messi, who featured for the side from the French capital for the first time this year, had a decent 30-minute cameo. He is expected to return to starting XI after the international break.
Here are five Paris Saint-Germain players who impressed in their 4-0 victory over Reims at the Parc on Sunday night:
#5 Leandro Paredes
Paris Saint-Germain’s Argentine midfielder Leandro Paredes was all over the pitch on Sunday.
He controlled the tempo well and struck a fine balance between attack and defense.
Since his arrival at PSG, Leandro Paredes is the second midfielder with the highest passing accuracy [92%], among the 2095 midfielders in the 5 major European leagues.
Only Toni Kroos surpasses him, with an accuracy of 93%.
Only 9% of his 4208 passes were backwards. Maestro🔥🔥 https://t.co/mukp7TuJWL
Over the course of the 90, Paredes completed 123 passes, made two key passes, and provided five long balls. Defensively, he won nine duels, made a couple of interceptions and attempted seven tackles.
#4 Danilo Pereira
While Paredes was comfortable playing through the middle, Pereira took the responsibility of keeping the right side mobile.
He was a tad more defensive than his midfield partners but took his chance well in the 75th minute.
4-0 PSG , they have been quality tonight against a pretty meh Reims side , Mbappe pulls it back for Danilo Pereira who’s shot took a deflection and found the net , two PSG goals tonight have had big deflections but the build up has been very neat indeed from the French Champions.
Latching on to Kylian Mbappe’s delivery, Pereira decided to put his foot through and was helped along by Faes’ involuntary touch.
The resulting strike wrong-footed Predrag Rajkovic, handing the Portuguese his fourth goal for PSG.