Mbappe-PSG-AuxerreGetty

PSG vs Auxerre player ratings: Awe-inspiring Kylian Mbappe carries Ligue 1 champions to narrow win at Auxerre that leaves them on brink of second successive title

The French striker bagged a brace inside 10 minutes, which ultimately proved to be enough of a buffer to cover up another underwhelming PSG performance, as they scraped a 2-1 win over 16th-placed Auxerre.

Mbappe was at his scintillating best early. He opened the scoring inside six minutes, sitting down an Auxerre defender before lashing a shot into the top corner. He made it two shortly after, curling one past the sprawling home goalkeeper from outside the box.

The Parisians really should have been 3-0 up by half-time, but Hugo Ekitike got the ball tangled in his feet with the goal gaping.

And his blunder was enough to let Auxerre back into the contest. The home side reduced the deficit in the 51st minute, with PSG's backline undone by a simple long ball, allowing Lassine Sinayoko to dart in behind and finish.

The home side had a smattering of opportunities to equalise, but crucial stops from Gianluigi Donnarumma saved the Parisians from another Ligue 1 embarrassment and left them on the brink of a second successive title.

GOAL rates PSG's players from Stade Abbe-Deschamps...

  • Goalkeeper & Defence

    Gianluigi Donnarumma (5/10):

    Beaten far too easily for Sinayoko's goal. Made up for it with a couple of bit stops late on.

    Marquinhos (4/10):

    Uneasy at the back. Loose in possession and often exploited on the break.

    Sergio Ramos (5/10):

    Decent in the air, reliable in possession. Making his case for a new deal.

    Danilo Pereira (5/10):

    Arguably the best of the three centre-backs, despite not really behind a centre-back.

  • Advertisement
  • Fabian-Ruiz-PSGGetty

    Midfield

    Warren Zaire-Emery (5/10):

    Another puzzling inclusion at wing-back. Needs to play in the middle at this point.

    Marco Verratti (5/10):

    Typically scrappy and active, but lost the ball a few times.

    Fabian Ruiz (6/10):

    Involved in PSG's build-up quite a lot. Much improved in recent weeks.

    Juan Bernat (6/10):

    Handed another start due to injuries at the position. Didn't have much to do on his side.

  • Mbappe-PSGGetty

    Attack

    Lionel Messi (4/10):

    Isn't doing much these days. Some nice passes, neat touches and moments of class. But his mind seems elsewhere.

    Hugo Ekitike (4/10):

    Missed an open goal, then removed with a hamstring issue. Would be a surprise if he's still at the club next year.

    Kylian Mbappe (8/10):

    Scored one fantastic goal after five minutes, and an even better one shortly after. He's dragging PSG over the line at the moment.

  • Subs & Manager

    Vitinha (6/10):

    Valuable legs off the bench.

    Renato Sanches (6/10):

    A welcome cameo as he continues to recover from an injury.

    Christophe Galtier (6/10):

    Facing a handful of injuries, the manager went with his best XI. PSG started strong but faltered as the home side turned up the heat. Three wins on the bounce is nice, but his team simply don't control games. This could have easily ended in a draw or worse.