This Tuesday PSG visited RB Salzburg for matchday 6 of the new ‘league phase’ of the UEFA Champions League. The Parisians came away with the victory.
After five matchdays of underwhelming football from Paris Saint-Germain under Luis Enrique, the Rouge & Bleu team arrived at MD6 with the urgent goal of earning points and climbing the standings to secure at least a spot in the Champions League playoffs.
The team from the Parc des Princes had come off back-to-back draws, 1-1 against Nantes and 0-0 against Auxerre. For this match, the Spanish coach lined up the same starting XI as against Nantes.
Let’s move on to the individual ratings for the Parisian players.
RB Salzburg vs PSG – Player ratings: Goalkeepers
6 – Gianluigi Donnarumma
The Italian goalkeeper was barely tested and made just one save during the match, but he kept a clean sheet, which is always worth highlighting.
RB Salzburg vs PSG – Player ratings: Defenders
8 – Achraf Hakimi
Another excellent match from the club’s vice-captain, who recorded two assists and made four key passes, creating plenty of danger. In addition to looking very comfortable offensively, he was always trying to be involved in the plays.
6 – Marquinhos
The Brazilian had a pretty solid game, recording 3 clearances, 1 blocked shot, 1 interception, 2 tackles, and winning 7 of the 10 duels he was involved in.
Additionally, the Brazilian made a key pass that created danger and completed 96% of his passes.
6 – Willian Pacho
Another good night for the Ecuadorian, who won 6 out of 8 duels during the match, in addition to making a clearance, registering an interception, 3 tackles, and, of course, playing the full 90 minutes. Decent, but not outstanding, as he has been on other occasions.
7 – Nuno Mendes
He won 8 of 9 duels and scored a goal, while also achieving an 88% pass accuracy. Not much more can be asked from a player who, among offensive full-backs, is expected to perform equally well in defensive duties. Great match from the Portuguese!
RB Salzburg vs PSG – Player ratings: Midfielders
6 – Joao Neves
Although not up to the standard we’re accustomed to, the Portuguese player had a 90% passing accuracy, making 101 touches and completing 4 out of 4 long balls he attempted and 2 out of 2 dribbles.
However, he missed a great scoring opportunity and, as mentioned, didn’t look as sharp as in previous matches.
7 – Vitinha
Good match for the Portuguese, who delivered both offensively and defensively, providing a delightful pass to Hakimi before the Moroccan assisted Goncalo Ramos for the first goal of the match. For us, he was PSG’s best midfielder of the night.
5 – Fabian Ruiz
Despite providing two key passes, he lost possession eight times and struggled with his decision-making. It was evident enough that Luis Enrique decided to bring Warren Zaire-Emery onto the pitch (73′). It wasn’t his worst performance, but it was another disappointing outing from the Spaniard.
RB Salzburg vs PSG – Player ratings: Forwards
5 – Lee Kang-In
The Korean, despite registering 3 key passes, didn’t have the best night overall, as his decision-making wasn’t at its sharpest. Evidence of this includes the two big chances he missed and the two accurate crosses out of five attempts. However, he stood out in other areas, such as completing all 4 long passes he attempted and achieving an 89% passing accuracy.
7 – Goncalo Ramos
Scorer of the first goal, it’s hard to rate the Portuguese negatively. However, it’s true that after that goal, he didn’t contribute much more to the team’s offensive system.
7 – Bradley Barcola
For his part, Bradley Barcola also had a good game, although it wasn’t reflected in goals or assists.
The Frenchman never stopped trying and looked sharper in his decision-making than on other occasions, registering two key passes that created danger but also missing two big goal-scoring opportunities.
Who are PSG’s all-time top scorers?
Paris Saint-Germain have always had world-class forwards throughout its history. Here’s a brief overview of the club’s top 5 all-time scorers.
Rank | Player | Goals |
1. | Kylian Mbappe | 256 |
2. | Edinson Cavani | 200 |
3. | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 156 |
4. | Neymar | 118 |
5. | Pedro Pauleta | 109 |
In first place is Kylian Mbappe, who left the club in the summer of 2024 for Real Madrid. The French forward scored 256 goals in 7 seasons with the Parisian side.
Second place goes to Edinson Cavani with 200 goals, while third place belongs to Zlatan Ibrahimović with 152 goals. In fourth place is Neymar with 118 goals, and in fifth place is the Portuguese Pedro Pauleta with 109 goals.