Kylian Mbappe in action against Brest. (Twitter/Ligue One)Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) Highlights: Paris Saint-Germain refocused on its last shot at silverware this season in the French league and beat Brest 2-1 with a late Kylian Mbappe goal on Saturday. Mbappe beat the offside trap to collect a throughball from Lionel Messi in the 90th minute and rounded goalkeeper Marco Bizot to slot into an empty net. The France striker was lucky to still be on the pitch after kicking Haris Belkebla, who was on the ground in the 85th.
PSG was knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich on Wednesday and is left with winning Ligue 1. PSG leads by 11 points. Midfielder Carlos Soler slammed in a rebound in the 37th after Bizot parried a swerving long-range strike from Mbappe. The Spain international was the most threatening PSG player in the first half. He curled a shot that Bizot diverted onto the post in the 11th. Soler also fed Mbappe, who missed the target from a tight angle in the 26th.
Bizot frustrated PSG in the second half, palming away Messi’s effort from the edge of the box in the 65th and saving a close-range attempt from Nuno Mendes in the 70th. Brest had very little possession but managed to expose the fragility of the PSG defense. The host capitalized on a counterattack to level in the 44th. Franck Honorat made a run in behind Sergio Ramos to chase a long ball from Romain Del Castillo and held off Timothee Pembele to shoot high past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Scroll down to follow Brest vs PSG Ligue 1 highlights today
PSG player Lionel Messi when a pitch invader. (Screengrab)
4 mins have been added and a late penalty shout for Brest but the referee waves it away. One final chance as Brest with a set piece. And the free kick is put behind for a corner. And nothing off it. The referee blows the final whistle. PSG get the 3 points but Brest made them work pretty hard.
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And what a ball by Messi to find Kylian Mbappe. He is one on one with the keeper, plays in around the keeper and finishes it cooly. Goal number 202 for PSG's top scorer of all time.
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Brest with a free kick and it's behind for a corner off the shins of Nuno Mendes. What can they conjure from here? Nothing it seems as Honorat's wild strike goes out for a throw.
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PSG players are hovering on the edge of the Brest Penalty box but they are being kept at bay by the red shirts. Any time one of the PSG players get the ball, they are pushed towards a wider position.Mbappe is booked for a foul on Belkebla, who is laso booked as things get heated.
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The goal scorer Carlos Soler is withdrawn by PSG as Hugo Ekitike is introduced. 3 pronged attack by the defending champions now. Let's see if it bears fruit.
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Another chance for PSG as Messi picks out Nuno Mendes who is in the clear. But he has fluffed his shot. Respite for Brest again as the goalie collects the ball.
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Felix Lemarechal on for Romain Del Castillo as Brest make a change. PSG, meanwhile, bring on Juan Bernat and Vitinha for Timothee Pembele and Fabian Ruiz
Mbappe is now near the Brest goal, skips past a defender and strikes hard but it's caught comfortably by the Brest keeper Bizot. CXhalk that up in the shot on target column.
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Duverne causing a lot of problems in the left flank for PSG as Pembele struggles to keep up with him. Ultimately the PSG defender gets a good tackle and concedes a corner. Nothing off it.
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Foul by PSG on Duverne as Ramos catches him with his boot. A left footed curler into the box it's cleared away but as far as a Brest player whose shot is wide.
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Messiiiii!! Gets the ball near the Brest penalty area, skips past a defender and gets a curling shot away which the Brest keeper Bizot saves!!
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The clearest cahnce of the second half falls to Mbappe who getsthe ball near the goal and he gets it all wrong. His shot balloons over the bar. His body position made it pretty difficult for him to be honest.
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Mbappe with the ball but not for long as he fouls a Brest defender and kicks the ball in frustration. PSG are creating spaces but can't do anything to exploit it.
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Free kick for Brest and it's curled in and that was close!!! Magnetti, gets his head to it completely unmarked. And it has scraped the side netting.
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PSG are trying with all their might to get through the Brest defence but the red shirts are content to just clear it away. Messi is fed by Mendes and he pulls off a snap shot but that's wide.
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Mbappe is down clutching his throat as a wayward left arm of a Brest defender caught him. The ball is nout of play as medics tend to the French superstar.
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Brest are having the lion's share of the ball as the home side continues to put pressure on PSG. Corner for Brest and it's beaten out by Donnarumma.
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Now then, we are back for live action as the second half is about to begin. The referee blows his whistle and brest gets us rolling. No changes for either side.
And it's half time as PSG's old malaise of conceding rears its head again. Another opportunity of keeping clean sheet gone. PSG have kept just one in their last 11 matches.
A brief pause in play after sopme flares have made their way into the ground making it impossible to see. 3 minutes have been added.
Brilliant from Castillo to feed Honorat who takes the ball ball under control with his head, leaves Ramos and Pembele behind and slots it home. Equalizer!!
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Chance for Brest as a cross gets the head of the striker and it's blocked by Ramos for a corner. Donnarumma scrambles to prevent it but couldn't. Nothing of it though.
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And that's a goal!!! Kylian Mbappe shoots from distance and it's a stinger. The goalie parries it and Soler is on hand to turn it in!! PSG lead.
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Free kick for PSG now and Messi is standing over it. And strikes it with his left foot but it hits the bottom of the wall. Brest with a sigh of relief.
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Ball given away by Brest in a dangerous position. Verratti feeds Messi, who skips past 2 defenders. Feeds it wide to Mbappe whose cross is cleared.
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A couple of stoppages in the game as the tackles keep flying. Nuno Mendes and Soler both at the receiving end. Getting a little feisty this one.
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On the other end of the field, PSG build steadily and the ball reaches Mbappe who has rifled hs shot wide. Proper end to end game now.
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Far better this time from Castillo as a Honorat through ball finds him in space. With a burst of speed, he comes down the left and powers in a ball which is kicked out by Ramos.
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Ramos has been caught napping as Brest break with Castillo whose final ball is a disappointment. Does not find any of his teammates and PSG can clear.
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20 mins are gone and PSG are yet to make a dent on the Brest goal. They have been marauding inside the hosts' penalty box frequently but the final ball is failing them.
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Huge chance for Brest as Mounie gets the ball under control with his chest. But as he nears the goal, he couldn't quite keep the ball down. It's gone high and wide.
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The waves of PSG attacks keep coming as Brest's clearances are landing on the Parisans' feet. Verratti gets the ball and shoots, deflects for a corner. Nothing comes of it ultimately.
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10 mins are gone and there hasn't been a shot on goal from either team but wait. Messi tumbles, the ball falls kindly to Soler whose shot is off the post and Messi gets it. But the Argentinian hits the ball with his weaker foot and it goes over the bar.
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Lovely ball from Honorat but it does not quite reach Mounie who has to take the ball wide. PSG can now clear the ball away as Brest's first attack is whiffed out.
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The game is going on in the Brest half only with PSG trying to find a way through but the Brest players are standing resolute. The champions need a moment of briliance to break this defence down it seems.
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First chance for PSG as Mbappe gets on to a through ball and tries to get a shot on goal but it's been blocked by a Brest defender.
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It's all PSG in the initial stage of the match with the defending champions passing the ball amongst each other. Brest have not gotten a sniff yet.
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The customary handshakes are done and the players are on the field. Brest with their red home kit while PSG are decked up in their gray away jerseys. Peep peep!! The referee's whistle blows and PSG will get the ball rolling.
We are almost there for the kick off as the players make their out of the tunnel. Both sets of players walk out side by side and it's almost time for live action to begin.
The Brest fans are in full volume as PSG visit the stadium. The French champions will have a lot on their plate as a Brest side look to cause an upset with the might of almost the whole stadium behind them.
We are just half an hour away from live action as the players are warming up on the ground. Can PSG carry on their Ligue 1 form or will Brest spring a surprise? Stay tuned.
PSG meanwhile, do not have a decent away record, having lost 5 of their 9 away games after the World Cup break. More concerning, however, is their inability to keep a clean sheet, having just one in their last 10 matches in all competitions.
Brest have had a woeful home record with just two wins here all season which came against fellow strugglers Troyes and Angers. Can they stop a wounded PSG tonight? On paper it looks highly unlikely but when has a football match ever been won on paper.
Brest XI: Bizot, Duverne, Brassier, Dari, Fadiga, Belkebla, Magnetti, Honorat, Castillo, Melou, Mounie.
PSG XI: Donnarumma(GK), Ramos, Mendes, Pembele, Verratti, Fabian, Danilo, Soler, Zaire-Emery, Messi, Mbappe.
Brazil forward Neymar has successfully undergone surgery on his right ankle, the Ligue 1 side had announced on Friday. Neymar, who has 13 goals and 11 assists in Ligue 1 this season, has not played since a 4-3 win over Lille last month, missing PSG’s last three games. The French champions did not provide a timeline for Neymar’s return, saying “the player will now follow a protocol of rest and treatment.”
Kylian Mbappe’s created a historic record last week when he became the club’s all-time top scorer with his goal against Nantes. The milestone was crossed when Mbappe's stoppage time goal helped the French superstar surpass Edison Cavani and sit pretty at the summit with 201 goals.
If you discount the Champions League, PSG's last match in the league went as well as you would expect for a team wielding the likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. Both of them were on the score sheet as the Les Parisans ran away with a 4-2 victory against Nantes.
After a rather disappointing February, Brest coach Eric Roy finally gave fans something to cheer about when they defeated Strasbourg 1-0. The lone goal was scored by Franck Honorat which helped Brest step out of the relegation zone.
If you look at PSG's form in the league, they just have one loss in their last 6 matches while Brest have had a torrid time navigating the choppy waters of Ligue 1 with just 1 win in their last 6 matches.
PSG: WWLWWW
BREST: DDLLLW
Both teams have had contrasting fortunes in their last match with Brest getting their first victory Strasbourg since January, PSG suffered the heartbreak of getting eliminated from the Champions League at the hands of Bayern Munich.
Paris Saint Germain and brest have played each other in 14 different matches with the latter having no victories against the defending champions. PSG have a landslide 13 wins while one match has ended in a draw.
After a rather subpar season (according to his standards) last year, Lionel Messi have started this one like a house on fire. In Round 27 with at least one goal contribution in 15 different Ligue One games this season
PSG XI: Donnarumma; Pereira, Ramos, Bitshiabu; Hakimi, Zaire-Emery, Verratti, Vitinha, Mendes; Messi, Mbappe
Brest XI: Bizot; Fadiga, Dari, Brassier, Duverne; Belkebla, Lees-Melou, Magnetti; Honorat, Mounie, Del Castillo