Both sides are back in midweek action domestically of course - PSG face Nice and Brest await Saint-Etienne. Until then however, thank you for joining us - and have a good week!
Lionel Messi meanwhile might not have netted today but he set up every finish for Mauricio Pochettino's side - and that helps them keep their large gap at the summit of Ligue 1 too. After those Champions League frustrations, it is a much-needed morale booster for the Parisian side.
Claude Puel and company remain in the bottom three then, but again, there are signs of promise to behold. Keep a full contingent of men on the field and they may have come away with something here. Alas, for the best laid plans of mice and men...
A hat-trick of assists from Lionel Messi ensures that Paris Saint-Germain seal a fightback win and three points against 10-men Saint-Etienne - but a late injury to Neymar has taken the gloss off their result. The visitors managed to trump bad weather and a stubborn opponent in a scrappy encounter though - and that will be their main concern. Full-time, it finishes Saint-Etienne 1-3 Paris Saint-Germain.
90' + 4' FULL-TIME: SAINT-ETIENNE 1-3 PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
90' + 3' Mbappe goes looking for a fourth now, but the offside flag saves Saint-Etienne any more misery.
L. Messi
Assist
90' + 1' Lionel Messi just can't stop setting them up today, can he? It's been another fine turn from the ex-Barcelona legend. He'll be a fine asset if he keeps this up for PSG.
Marquinhos
Goal
90' + 1' GOAL! PSG COMPLETE THEIR COMEBACK! 3-1! Marquinhos has a double of headers for the day - and Lionel Messi has a hat-trick of assists! The Argentine leads on the ball down the left edge, cuts a looped delivery in, and his captain is there to crash home from the six-yard area. The visitors seal victory!
90' There's going to be four added minutes in this game, despite that delay for Neymar's injury.
E. Ebimbe
Neymar
88' Eric Ebimbe replaces Neymar in PSG's second change of the game, as the latter leaves on a stretcher.
J. Krasso
Y. Maçon
87' Jean-Philippe Krasso replaces Yvann Macon in Saint-Etienne's fifth change of the game.
L. Calodat
M. Camara
86' Lucas Calodat replaces Mahdi Camara in Saint-Etienne's fourth change of the game.
86' The stretcher is on for Neymar. This is going to be a sad end to his day and a major concern for PSG, whose three points looks to have come at a sizable cost.
84' Ouch! Neymar goes down and that is a painful one. He gets caught by a sliding tackle, but it is his foot coming back to earth on its side that does the damage. The Brazilian looks in agony. It's a massive concern for him and his team.
83' It has been a miserable day to play in though. The conditions have been pretty awful, and players are still sliding all over the shop.
81' Now comes the late test, Can Saint-Etienne rally to snatch a point? Or do they conserve themselves in the hope that PSG will lay off and allow those gaps to open naturally?
L. Messi
Assist
79' He may have no goals but two assists for Lionel Messi highlight how crucial he has been today. Once more, PSG have not quite looked the finished article in terms of team cohesion, and Saint-Etienne have hauled them into a game of scrappy character, but the Argentine is showing his class once again.
Á. Di María
Goal
79' GOAL! ANGEL DI MARIA HANDS PSG THE LEAD! 2-1! It has been coming - and it has arrived! Once more, Lionel Messi pulls the strings, helping to draw in defenders before flicking out to an exposed right edge of the penalty area. His team-mate is there, unmarked, and he lofts a simple finish around Green that you can see coming from a mile away. The visitors finally hit the front.
77' PSG have featured the most different non-French players in Ligue 1 this season, heading into today. Sergio Ramos adds to that total, and he's had a rather lively league debut for the most part.
L. Paredes
I. Gueye
75' Leandro Paredes replaces Idrissa Gueye in PSG's first change of the game.
74' PSG move on the attack once more but Ramos is called for a foul in the hosts' penalty area and Saint-Etienne feel the pressure eased.
L. Gourna-Douath
R. Boudebouz
72' Lucas Gourna-Douath replaces Ryad Boudebouz in Saint-Etienne's third change of the game.
71' Concern for Saint-Etienne now after Ryad Boudebouz goes down free of anybody else. It doesn't look hyper-serious - he's able to regain his feet - but he will be removed by the hosts.
69' Pardon the correction - the weather has suddenly returned in full force. It really is a miserable day in France today and both sides look a little soggy.
67' That flurry of bad weather in the first half has shifted on - but it has left a damp track in its wake. Messi slips lunging for a shot and miscues his touch.
65' Almost half of the second half has gone, and PSG have not found a second yet. On the touchline, Mauricio Pochettino looks on in his large white coat.
63' Better stuff again from Saint-Etienne who sharply counter now and force a save. They need to play intelligently to hold on for a point, or possibly even snatch this, you'd wager.
61' Now Lionel Messi goes close - and it is a near-thing, with Green just out in time to snaffle the ball in front of the Argentine. Meanwhile, Ramos is at the centre of complaints for an apparent block off the ball.
59' Kylian Mbappe shakes his head at that effort, as he flashes a looping ball across the face of goal. He knows he can do better than that.
57' A spot of joy for the hosts sees them muscle up some corners, but they aren't enough to make Donnarumma break a sweat.
55' Before today, Saint-Etienne have scored 56 per cent of their goals from set pieces in Ligue 1 this season (9/16), the highest percentage, while PSG have the lowest percentage (16% - 5/32).
53' Lionel Messi rumbles foward, looking for a ball from Di Maria - but the offside call goes against him and his team-mate. Close but not coconut.
51' Perhaps unsurprisingly, it has been one-way traffic for PSG in this half so far. It only feels like a matter of time before they locate a second finish.
49' Never fear - Sergio Ramos nearly puts a chap in orbit with an industrial-sized challenge. The bite remains undimmed.
48' The bigger question perhaps is whether cool heads will prevail in this one. The first half was a spicy one, to put it mildly.
46' We're back underway for the second half in Ligue 1. What have the hosts got up their sleeves now they have one less man on the pitch - and can their visitors romp home from here?
H. Moukoudi
N. Sissoko
46' Harold Moukoudi replaces Alpha Sissoko in Saint-Etienne's second change of the game, at the break.
Z. Youssouf
A. Aouchiche
46' Zaydou Youssouf replaces Adil Aouchiche in Saint-Etienne's first change of the game, at the break.
PSG's last 32 goals against Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1 have been scored from inside the box. The last PSG goal from outside the box against Les Verts was scored by Edinson Cavani and came in August 2014.
Chaos reigns supreme in Ligue 1 - we've had a VAR-overturned opener, a slew of yellow cards, one clattering red and a Lionel Messi assist to go along with Sergio Ramos' starting debut for PSG today, and it's only the interval! It's all still to play for - at half-time, it is Saint-Etienne 1-1 Paris Saint-Germain.
45' + 4' HALF-TIME: SAINT-ETIENNE 1-1 PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
L. Messi
Assist
45' + 2' That's what Lionel Messi brings to your team - the ability to just place a ball like that, among so many other things. The Argentine is likely to add another Ballon d'Or tomorrow to his haul, whether he deserves it or not, and that assist is a timely reminder of his skill.
Marquinhos
Goal
45' + 2' GOAL! PSG LEVEL FROM THE SUBSEQUENT SET-PIECE! 1-1! Marquinhos missed a sitter earlier - but it makes up for it here! Messi lofts an inch-perfect free-kick in from the centre-right flank, the captain rises and he nudges a low, bouncing header beyond Etienne Green, in at the near post. It's all square heading towards the break!
T. Kolodziejczak
Red Card
45' Saint-Etienne are down a man for the rest of the game! Mbappe breaks, Timothee Kolodziejczak lunges for him and the latter drags his studs over the forward's knee. There is absolutely no disputing that call!
43' Scrappy, frantic, pinwheeling - there's plenty of words to describe this one! And it's not over yet...
41' With that miss from his team-mate, it's no wonder Neymar tries himself the second time around. He earns a corner off the goalkeeper's fend at the left post, but Saint-Etienne are able to clear easily.
40' Mbappe! He knows he should have buried that one, flying towards a pinpoint cross in the six-yard area and somehow letting the goalkeeper punch it away.
38' Mbappe blazes after a long ball and is trapped by the linesman's flag, to compound his frustration. It's just not coming off for PSG today.
37' Both managers are gesticulating from the side, urging calm from their players. The sense of a looming red card feels a little inevitable in this contest.
M. Camara
Yellow Card
35' Now Mahdi Camara cleans out Idrissa Gueye. This really is turning into a dust-up - albeit a rather soggy one in this storm.
Juan Bernat
Yellow Card
33' Juan Bernat is now booked for a challenge of his own down the other end of the pitch. The tempers are more than just flaring in this one.
R. Boudebouz
Yellow Card
32' Ryad Boudebouz is shown a booking for part of the aftermath of that foul, having shoved Neymar over.
31' Now Di Maria is on the receiving end of a late stamp, and this time both sides do face off with each other. There's going to be a card here, at least.
29' The weather is absolutely horrendous out there now, but it's not doing anything to cool heads. Neymar is sent sprawling by another challenge and both sets of players come close to squaring up.
27' Claude Puel was doing some spectacular gestures on the touchline during that decision. Angel Di Maria meanwhile miscues a Kylian Mbappe ball to blow a good half-chance now.
25' That feels like a moment that could well hang over the rest of this game. PSG however will have to roll their socks up and get on with the job now.
D. Bouanga
Goal
23' GOAL! DENIS BOUANGA IS AWARDED THE FINISH FOR SAINT-ETIENNE! 1-0! It seems, because he scored following an initial save off a team-mate, his finish can stand as he was onside at the original delivery! PSG are furious, but the goal now stands.
23' GOAL!...but no! Saint-Etienne bury the ball in the back of the net but half of their squad are offside after PSG move up the field to chase them back too quick. The linesman seems to have got that spot on. VAR is going to have a look though...
22' The weather has turned all of a sudden here, with a dense rain - bordering on light sleet, almost - starting to drift across the stadium. Ramos looks particularly disgruntled after he's given a word for a stern challenge, though he clears his lines easily.
20' Saint-Etienne have not won any of their last 12 home games against PSG in Ligue 1 (D6 L6), with their last win on home soil against them coming in September 2008 (1-0).
N. Sissoko
Yellow Card
18' That's a very heavy challenge by Alpha Sissoko early in the game, absolutely steaming into Neymar - and he is booked for that one without little argument.
16' You can take the man out of Madrid but you can't take the character out of the man - Sergio Ramos has got a running dialogue with the officials going already. It's good to see some things never change.
14' The visitors whip the resulting corner in - and Marquinhos heads squarely into the stands behind. That was one of his weaker efforts from the set-piece situation.
13' Three fouls in five minutes and PSG are getting irate at the decisions against them. This time, ASSE slam the set-piece long and out, leaving Donnarumma relatively untroubled - and then they launch a blistering counter, with Mbappe forcing a save down the opposite end.
11' Another foul from the visitors now draws the ire of the crowd. This could become a recurring factor in this game.
9' A PSG foul on Aouchiche draws the ire of the crowd and a free-kick for the hosts too. This is shaping up to be a bitty contest.
7' That VAR call took longer than expected given that Neymar looked to be a mile offside, but either way. Gianluigi Donnarumma is put under pressure on his own line and has to make a hasty clearance now.
5' GOAL!... or not! A slick passage of interplay around the Saint-Etienne box sees Neymar tap in a scruffy delivery from Lionel Messi at close-range, to the hosts' fury - and VAR backs up their claims, with the finish chalked off for offside.
3' It's close to a full house today at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, and there truly is a litany of world-class talent on display. But can Mauricio Pochettino marshal it into something coherently brilliant?
1' We are underway in this Ligue 1 clash between Saint-Etienne and Paris Saint-Germain!
At last - Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos, starting a match on the same side. Whoever thought we'd see the day? The teams are poised and we're moments away from kick-off.
PSG have won 12 of their 14 games in Ligue 1 this season, with only they themselves winning more at this stage of the season (14 in 2018-19). However, they have conceded 14 goals after 14 games in 2021-22, their highest total since 2009-10 (15).
PSG are the only team against which Saint-Etienne have lost more than half of their Ligue 1 games, losing 41 times in 79 encounters.
Saint-Etienne have not won any of their last 16 games against PSG in Ligue 1 (D5 L11), only having two worse runs against the same opponent in the top-flight: 20 vs Lyon between 1994 and 2010 and 17 vs Marseille between 1986 and 1999.
Subs: Eric Ebimbe, Presnel Kimpembe, Xavi Simons, Thilo Kehrer, Sergio Rico, Nuno Mendes, Rafinha, Leandro Paredes, Colin Dagba.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN (4-2-3-1): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Sergio Ramos, Juan Bernat; Danilo Pereira, Idrissa Gueye; Angel Di María, Lionel Messi, Neymar; Kylian Mbappe.
Subs: Lucas Gourna Douath, Harold Moukoudi, Assane Diousse, Juan Ramírez, Jean-Phillipe Krasso, Saidou Sow, Zaydou Youssouf,Lucas Calodat, Boubacar Fall.
The biggest news ahead of kick-off though is the long-awaited starting debut of one PSG new boy - Sergio Ramos, having come off the bench in midweek, makes his first appearance in the starting XI for the visitors. Their hosts meanwhile respond with five at the back, to ward off that frightening attacking threat fronted by Kylian Mbappe.
Just one defeat in their last five however has helped Claude Puel's side turn around a disaster of a start to the new campaign. Though Saint-Etienne remain mired in the relegation places, their form suggests that they will likely pull clear of the drop in the end - and a shock scalp today would help them greatly.
It's been something of a strange season for PSG this term. Their raft of superstar signings - Lionel Messi and Georginio Wijnaldum among them - have been oddly quiet, yet they've romped ahead with daylight to spare at the summit. They don't need a statement win as such - but it would help ward off naysayers.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the 2021-22 Ligue 1 season, as Paris Saint-Germain look to maintain their quest to reclaim their former crown on the road against Saint-Etienne at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
Commentary