Paris Saint-Germain faced disappointment in their recent match against Lille, resulting in a 1-1 draw. Despite Kylian Mbappé’s 66th-minute penalty goal, the capital club witnessed Jonathan David’s equalizer in extra time (90th+4), leaving the Rouge et Bleu with mixed emotions.
Despite this, PSG maintains its lead in the championship with a five-point advantage over Nice, the current runner-up. The clash with Lille also marked the 100th appearance of right-back Achraf Hakimi since his arrival in Paris in the summer of 2021.
However, the anticipated celebration for Hakimi’s century of appearances did not unfold as expected, as the Lion of the Atlas found himself absent from the starting lineup.
Instead, 17-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery was preferred in a hybrid role at the kickoff. After the match, PSG coach Luis Enrique defended this unconventional choice, stating, “We have tried something different to have more control.
And I think that was the case for 80 minutes, it was almost perfect, against a great rival. Everything was under control. It will be necessary that I rewatch the last 10 minutes. But it’s very frustrating.”
While Hakimi made his appearance shortly after the hour mark (67th), replacing the international Uruguayan Manuel Ugarte, the draw left both players and fans with a sense of letdown.
Speaking to Prime Video after the game, Hakimi expressed his disappointment, saying, “We wanted the victory and to leave with the three points. It was a very close match against a good Lille team; it’s a shame to not have lasted until the end.
” Despite the unsatisfactory result, Hakimi conveyed his dedication to PSG, stating, “This is not the time to celebrate my hundredth match with PSG given the result, but I hope to wear this jersey for the longest time possible.” The heartfelt sentiment is likely to resonate with Parisian supporters.
100 TIMES ACHRAF HAKIMI WITH PSG 🇲🇦💯 pic.twitter.com/k2EBegVbgj
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) December 17, 2023
