Angers vs. PSG: Winners and Losers from Ligue 1 Game
For the first time this season and first in the last 26 Ligue 1 matches, Paris Saint-Germain failed to score on Tuesday night, as they were held to a scoreless draw at the Stade Jean-Bouin by Angers.
"FT Angers 0-0 PSG. Brilliant performance from the home team - had some decent chances to win it too! Angers players and fans delighted.
— FFW (@FrenchFtWeekly) December 1, 2015"
Rather than it being all about a poor performance from the champions, credit had to go to Stephan Moulin’s side for an excellent, spirited and determined display.
"Angers the first team to keep a clean sheet vs. PSG this season. First time in 26 Ligue 1 matches that the champions have failed to score.
— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) December 1, 2015"
Kevin Trapp only had one save to make, but PSG’s midfield was outfought by the team in black and white. Even when they did get a sniff at goal, Ludovic Butelle was there to mop up any danger.
Laurent Blanc choose to rest Zlatan Ibrahimovic from the start, with the Swede making way for Blaise Matuidi to come back into the midfield in PSG’s usual 4-3-3 formation. The club’s all-time leading goalscorer would come on in the second half, but try as he might, he couldn’t help break down the Angers back line.
Here are the winners and losers from PSG's goalless draw with Angers.
Winner: Ludovic Butelle
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Last season, Ludovic Butelle was named the Ligue 2 Goalkeeper of the Year. On Tuesday night, you could see exactly why. He was quick off his line and bright and alert, and he made a great save to deny Adrien Rabiot’s low shot.
"Butellement bon.
— PhilippaB (@Philby1976) December 1, 2015"
He becomes the first goalkeeper to record a clean sheet against PSG in Ligue 1 this season. It is also his 10th shutout of the campaign, more than any other goalkeeper in France.
Winner: Romain Thomas
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Romain Thomas was one of the only injury concerns for Angers before Tuesday’s game. Brought off with a suspect concussion on Saturday against Lille, there was little doubt from watching his performance against PSG that he was fully alert and able.
In a defensive masterclass, he dealt with everything PSG threw at him and was nearly always in the right place to clear the danger. According to WhoScored’s match coverage, Thomas made five clearances and seven interceptions, more combined than any other player on his team.
Loser: Lucas Moura
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It is becoming a running theme in recent weeks: Lucas Moura is the one player worthy of the "loser" tag after the Angers game.
"So did Lucas just went off the pitch after the ref started the game or? #terrible #SCOSPG
— Andreas Karlsson (@AndKarlsson) December 1, 2015"
He was almost invisible in the first half. He had just two shots and one successful dribble, according to WhoScored. It's hard to remember when those shots happened, as it is easy to forget he was even there.
Winner: Adrien Rabiot
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It was quite a stretch to find anyone who fell into the winner’s category from PSG on Tuesday. It’s not that they played particularly bad, but more that they weren’t allowed time and space to implement their own game and were reduced to half-chances.
Once again, Adrien Rabiot impressed in the midfield. He had a good shot saved from Butelle late on but was active on the defensive end, too. However, it does say a lot about the game that Rabiot’s OK performance is the one that stands out for the team top of Ligue 1.
Winner: Stephane Moulin
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So much credit for Angers' picking up a point against PSG on Tuesday has to go to manager Stephan Moulin.
After grabbing the last promotion place in Ligue 2, he has taken a team of players with little top-flight experience and turned them into a team that is difficult to break down and one where all 11 players work for each other.
"Most clean sheets in Europe's top 5 leagues this term Angers (10) Bayern (9) Lyon (9) Inter (9) Man Utd (8) Atletico (8) Napoli (8) PSG (8)
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 1, 2015"
So many teams have held PSG off for 15-20 minutes before collapsing. Angers went all the way on Tuesday. If only they could have improved their decision-making on the break, they could have easily won all three points.
