Les Verts gave the Parc a scare!

The Context

After an impressive debut for Eirik Horneland and his Greens last weekend against Reims (3-1), they face a major challenge this Sunday evening to close out Matchday 17 and the first half of the Ligue 1 McDonald’s season. Up against the reigning champions, Paris Saint-Germain, the Greens must show the same attacking intent to confirm their resurgence.

The Starting XI

This Sunday, the Norwegian coach welcomes the return of Zuriko Davitashvili, who was a last-minute withdrawal last Saturday. The Georgian international earns a spot in the starting lineup on the left flank, replacing Augustine Boakye. This is the only change from the previous starting XI.

👤 Le XI stéphanois pour #PSGASSE !

Allez les Verts, allez ! 👊💚 pic.twitter.com/B3XslF9ecF

— AS Saint-Étienne (@ASSEofficiel) January 12, 2025

The Match

Buoyed by the support of over 800 traveling fans, Les Verts started the game with remarkable energy. From the very first minute, Zuriko Davitashvili broke down the left, cut inside, and fired a shot that forced Donnarumma into an impressive save. Just five minutes later, following one of the high turnovers they managed during the first half, Lucas Stassin hesitated slightly before feeding the Georgian forward in the Parisian penalty area. An urgent defensive intervention prevented him from scoring. Frustrating!

At the other end, Gautier Larsonneur made an outstanding save against the young Mayulu in the 8th minute but had no answer for Ousmane Dembélé's powerful solo effort minutes later. Starting far from goal on the right wing, the French international carved a path through the defense and unleashed a thunderous left-footed strike that grazed the post and left "Larso" helpless (Paris 1-0 ASSE, 14’).

Shortly afterward, VAR called Benoit Millot to review a handball by Léo Pétrôt inside the box. The penalty, coolly converted by Dembélé, doubled PSG’s lead (Paris 2-0 ASSE, 22’). Larsonneur continued to keep his side in the game with a toe save against Barcola and a long-range strike from Lee. Barcola thought he had made it three in the 40th minute, but his goal was rightly disallowed after VAR spotted a foul on Benjamin Bouchouari.

Despite the scoreline, Les Verts refused to abandon their attacking philosophy. Lucas Stassin closed the half with a well-taken strike from the edge of the box, forcing Donnarumma into a tricky save in two stages.

Hero of last weekend, Augustine Boakye came on for Mathieu Cafaro at halftime. This time, PSG started stronger. Larsonneur stood tall, making vital stops against Barcola and a dangerous deflection off teammate Dylan Batubinsika following a PSG free kick.

Les Verts, however, remained a threat on the counterattack. A promising move led by Boakye was cut short, but another break by Zuriko Davitashvili earned a free kick from less than 25 meters. Davitashvili stepped up and expertly curled the ball around the PSG wall, leaving Donnarumma rooted as he netted his sixth goal of the season (Paris 2-1 ASSE, 64’).

PSG responded with efforts from Barcola (70’), Haimiki (74’), and Doué (90’), but none were on target. Uneasy with the pressure applied by the Stéphanois, Luis Enrique made defensive substitutions to preserve the lead. While Les Verts continued to push and created a few nervous moments for the Parc des Princes crowd, the hosts ultimately secured the win.

Coming to Paris with the clear intention to play their game, Les Verts leave defeated but with plenty of lessons learned for the remainder of the season. Now, the focus shifts to the second half of the campaign!

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Une publication partagée par AS Saint-Étienne (@asseofficiel)

What’s Next

A trip to the Parc is always a challenging task, but Les Verts will need a different outcome next Sunday when they host Nantes at Geoffroy-Guichard. This match will kick off the second half of the season and be crucial in their quest for survival in Ligue 1!

> Get your tickets for ASSE - Nantes