Safonov Concedes Two Goals as PSG Defeats Metz to Take the Lead

The French Championship (Ligue 1) match saw Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) travel to the home field of Metz, a team positioned at the bottom of the league table. For PSG, a victory was essential to secure sole leadership at the top of the standings for at least 24 hours.

Head coach Luis Enrique once again entrusted the goalkeeping duties to Matvey Safonov, keeping the lineup unchanged despite the return of Luka Chevalier. In the opening stages of the match, PSG displayed significant activity, dominating both possession and territorial control.

Metz, on the other hand, was forced into a more defensive approach under pressure. At one point, Ena Gauthier made an error near Safonov’s goal while attempting to dribble, losing the ball. The breakthrough for PSG came in the 31st minute.

A corner kick from the right side was played between Lee Kang-in and Nyan'tu. Following a cross from Nyan'tu, Gonçalo Ramos won an aerial duel against Traoré and headed the ball into the net — 0–1. Shortly thereafter, PSG scored a second goal.

Ibrahim Mbaye sped past his opponent on the left flank and delivered a low cross into the penalty area. In the ensuing play, Nyan'tu directed the ball into the net — 0–2.

However, the visitors’ composure was disrupted prematurely when Metz netted a response in the 42nd minute. Tsitaishvili executed a low pass from the left, with PSG’s defense failing to clear the ball.

After a deflection, Jesse Demingué struck from near the edge of the penalty area, driving the ball into the center of the goal — 1–2. In this instance, Safonov, diving toward the near corner, was unable to prevent the shot.

At halftime, Luis Enrique substituted Fabián Ruiz for Désiré Doué. Early in the second half, PSG created several additional opportunities, though Metz goalkeeper Jonathan Fischer made multiple decisive saves to keep his team in contention.

Around the 60th minute, PSG narrowly avoided conceding an equalizer. Metz forward Diallo missed the target after receiving a pass from Tsitaishvili. Shortly afterward, Safonov stopped a long-range shot from Kouao by pushing it out for a corner.

Subsequently, PSG scored a decisive goal. During a counterattack following a set piece, Doué launched a run from his own half towards the opposition goal. He finished accurately, slotting the ball into the bottom-right corner of Fischer’s goal — 1–3.

In the middle of the second half, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Bradley Barcola entered the field. PSG had opportunities during counterattacks to seal the game completely, but Doué and Barcola failed to convert their chances.

Metz kept the tension alive until the final minutes. In the 81st minute, Tsitaishvili cut inside from the left flank and delivered a precise shot to the far corner — 2–3. This marked the second goal Safonov conceded in the match.

Nevertheless, Paris Saint-Germain managed to successfully withstand a tense ending and secured their lead. Despite Safonov conceding twice, PSG claimed an away victory against the struggling Metz. With this result, PSG temporarily took the top spot in the Ligue 1 standings, at least until the conclusion of the match between Lens and Nice.

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