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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are having a monstrous summer transfer window. In a matter of weeks, they have signed Achraf Hakimi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Georginio Wijnaldum, Sergio Ramos, and Lionel Messi.
Unfortunately, three of their five signings were not ready for the second match of the 2021-2022 Ligue 1 campaign. That, however, did not stop the nine-time league winners from snatching a comfortable win.
PSG managed a dominant 4-2 win against Strasbourg this week to add to their 2-1 win against Troyes in their league opener nearly two weeks ago. Mauro Icardi, Kylian Mbappe, Julian Draxler and Pablo Sarabia were on the scoresheet for the hosts this time.
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The six-goal thriller demonstrated some convincing performances from PSG's stars; and today, we will check out the top five of the lot. Without further ado, let us take a look at the
5 best performers for PSG from gameweek 2 of the 2021-22 Ligue 1 season
#5 Georginio Wijnaldum
After winning the UEFA Champions League and the Premier League with Liverpool, Georginio Wijnaldum chose to walk out of the Reds’ camp in the summer. The free agent was immediately snagged by Paris Saint-Germain, who needed a calculative attacking threat in the middle of the park.
The new signing did not score a goal or make an assist in the first two matches of the 2021-22 Ligue 1 campaign, but his performance this week was surely commendable. He operated on the left of Ander Herrera and was responsible for keeping the left-flank operational. The Netherlands international played 29 accurate passes, won 5 duels, and completed 3 dribbles to give Paris Saint-Germain a solid blend of defensive solidity and attacking flair. He was subbed off for Rafinha in the 88th minute.
#4 Abdou Diallo
PSG has grown to become a team of mega stars. However, that does not mean the team does not have enough under-the-radar quality players. Abdou Diallo is not a household name by any means, but he has certainly shown enough promise to put pressure on first-choice defenders.
With Juan Bernat nursing his ligament injury, Diallo got the chance to start as PSG’s left-back in the first two matches of the season, and he did not disappoint. He ran up and down the left-hand channel, combining effortlessly with Wijnaldum and Kylian Mbappe.
The Senegalese footballer was instrumental in PSG’s opening goal against Strasbourg. His perfect delivery into the middle of the Strasbourg box allowed Mauro Icardi to attack the ball and hit the back of the net in style. Diallo completed the match for PSG and is set to feature in their next outing at Brest.
#3 Mauro Icardi
With the signing of Lionel Messi, PSG have hung a question mark over Mauro Icardi’s career at the club. The feud between Icardi and Messi is an open secret in the world of football and could very well spell doom for the Argentine striker in Paris.
Meanwhile, Icardi was once again a star of the PSG show on Sunday, and did not stand on ceremony to make his mark. Just three minutes after kick-off, Mauro Icardi broke himself free inside the Strasbourg box and met Abdou Diallo’s inch-perfect delivery. His glancing header took the Strasbourg shot-stopper out of the equation, giving the capital side a 1-0 lead.
He did not add to his tally over the course of the match, but his movement off the ball and interlinking with Kylian Mbappe were still praiseworthy.
#2 Julian Draxler
While Mauro Icardi finds himself in a personal pickle, Julian Draxler has become a victim of Paris Saint-Germain’s overambitious approach. Due to the presence of Neymar, Angel Di Maria, Kylian Mbappe, and now Lionel Messi, Draxler does not seem to have the opportunity to play in his preferred positions, which is a shame for a player of this caliber.
The absence of Neymar and Di Maria against Strasbourg allowed Draxler to stretch his legs down the right wing, and the forward made the most of the opportunity by scoring a goal and providing an assist.
His first major contribution came in the 25th minute, when he dispossessed Sanjin Prcic with a well-timed sliding challenge. He then fed the ball to Mbappe, which led to PSG’s second goal. Draxler scored his first goal of the campaign just two minutes after his assist. He tapped the ball inside the back post from close range to cap off Mbappe’s inch-perfect delivery.
Following his performance on Sunday, Mauricio Pochettino will be tempted to give the German another well-deserved opportunity against Brest on Friday.
#1 Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe is the most valuable player in the world right now. On Sunday, he showed exactly why that's the case.
The French forward, who was undoubtedly the best player on the pitch, scored a goal and provided an assist — in a two-minute window — to help PSG secure their second win of the season. His goal came in the 25th minute after Draxler sent him through on goal. The Frenchman’s shot took a massive deflection, but the wrongfooted Strasbourg keeper couldn't do much, as PSG gave themselves a two-goal cushion.
Two minutes later, Mbappe tore through the left flank and, this time, turned provider for Draxler, setting him up for PSG’s third goal of the night. Apart from the two major contributions, Mbappe also completed the most dribbles (6) and won maximum duels (10) for PSG.
