- PSG 2-0 Auxerre : Zabarnyi 32’, Beraldo 54’
Beating Auxerre allowed PSG to quickly put their defeat in Le Classique against Marseille behind them, but once again injuries overshadowed the result. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Vitinha both left the field hurt and will likely miss the upcoming clash with FC Barcelona.
The Parc des Princes had a festive feel before kickoff. To celebrate Ousmane Dembélé’s Ballon d’Or triumph, the club organized a lively reception, complete with a concert and a trophy presentation. That was the joyful side of the evening, because the match itself was far from spectacular.
Against an Auxerre side that stayed compact and deep, PSG looked sluggish and took a long time to break the deadlock. The opener finally arrived from a short corner: Vitinha delivered the cross, and Zabarnyi rose highest to head it home. The pattern repeated in the 54th minute when Mayulu sent in another ball, this time finished by Beraldo.
Auxerre did try to fight back late on, but their response lacked the cutting edge to truly trouble PSG. The Parisians also had goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier to thank. At fault in Monday’s loss to Marseille, he redeemed himself with decisive saves this evening.
Still, the injury curse simply won’t leave PSG alone. Even with victories piling up, doubts continue to grow as key players keep falling by the wayside.