Mbappe saves PSG's blushes with late winner against Brest
With only a Ligue 1 title for PSG to chase after yet more UEFA Champions League heartbreak in midweek, this looked like the perfect opportunity for the French champions to immediately rediscover winning ways, especially with the Parisians going unbeaten in their previous 24 meetings against Brest.
However, the hosts held firm during the early exchanges, with Carlos Soler seeing PSG’s best opportunity of the opening half-hour tipped onto the post by a sprawling Marco Bizot.
As the interval loomed, PSG looked to up the ante with plenty of possession in the final third, and finally made their pressure count in the 37th minute, when Soler rifled home a clinical first-time finish, after Bizot could only parry a long-range effort from Mbappe.
Undeterred by the setback, Brest stunned the visitors with a swift response just six minutes later, as Franck Honorat raced through on goal and lifted a clever strike over Gianluigi Donnarumma to restore parity going into the interval.
Yet to claim a point from a losing position under new boss Eric Roy, the hosts looked to carry their momentum into the opening exchanges of the second half, but Lilian Brassier spurned a glorious opportunity to give Brest the lead, directing a close-range header wastefully into the side-netting.
Grateful for the reprieve, PSG went in pursuit of a goal to regain control of the contest, but Mbappe uncharacteristically scooped over from eight yards, while Lionel Messi saw a low strike expertly thwarted by Bizot.
With time ticking into the final 15 minutes, both sides remained intent on finding a decisive late winner, and it was the visitors who finally ended the hosts’ resistance in stoppage time, as
Mbappe broke the offside trap and confidently slotted home to net PSG’s landmark goal in Ligue 1 and secure all three points to extend their lead at the top of the division.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Lionel Messi (PSG)