)
Lionel Messi was the pick of the bunch in a game week of landmarks and superb performances
Lionel Messi dug deep to produce a match-winning performance for PSG against Toulouse, while Senegalese forward Habib Diallo scored a brace for Strasbourg against Montpelier. Both players made the Pulsesports team of the week, but who joins them?
Goalkeeper
Vito Manone
Lorient’s Vito Manone was unbeatable for Les Merlus, helping them to a clean sheet and a point against Angers.
Although players further up the pitch will rue not taking advantage of the Arsenal academy graduate’s heroics in goal, they will certainly be grateful to him for sparing their blushing and ensuring that they did not lose to the bottom of the side bottom of the table.
Defenders
Ciao Henrique
Ciao Henrique was one of Monaco’s better plays in a game week where they had a number of good performances.
An assist for Breel Embolo’s goal to put Monaco 2-0 up was only part of a spirited performance that also saw him register the most touches for a Monaco player and also create the most chances by a defender in the match.
Jean-Charles Castelletto
Nantes have kept six clean sheets in the last seven Ligue 1 matches, and a huge reason for that has been Cameroonian centre-back Jean-Charles Castelletto.
Catselletto was at his imperious best again as Nantes battled to a 2-0 win over relegation-threatened Ajaccio.
)
He contested and won the most aerial duels of any Nates player, and also aided with seven clearances, two interceptions, and three successful tackles without getting dribbled all game and winning all four of his ground duels.
A truly remarkable performance from Castelletto
Guillermo Maripan
Monaco’s Guillermo Maripan managed to make an impact at both ends of the pitch, helping Monaco secure a clean sheet and also getting into the opposition box to score the opener in the eventual 2-0 win.
He made the joint-most clearances and aerial challenges in the match, winning 100% of them as well.
His goal against Clermont was his third this season, making him the club’s highest-scoring defender, and their fifth-highest goalscorer in Ligue 1 so far.
Achraf Hakimi
Achraf Hakimi was crucial to PSG’s comeback win over Toulouse. The Moroccan full-back scored the equaliser for Le Parisiens and followed that up by assisting the winning goal after being a terror all day for the Toulouse defence.
)
He created more scoring chances than every other player apart from Messi and also completed four dribbles while not being dribbled past as well.
Double Pivot
Enzo Le Fee
This Enzo might not have been signed for a British record fee, but he gave a performance for Lorient against Angers that would have been worth every penny of his namesake’s Chelsea fee.
Le Fee gave a midfield performance for the ages and was crucial to Lorient dominating Angers.
He recorded 113 touches in midfield, had a game-high 74 passes, and completed the most dribbles in the match.
He was also defensively solid for Lorient, making six successful tackles, two clearances, and a game-high three interceptions.
Branco van den Boomen
If Branco van den Boomen gave this performance against a team that did not have Lionel Messi in it, he may have been the Man of the Match and the Player of the Week.
)
In addition to completing the most passes for Toulouse against PSG, van den Boomen also completed 100% of his dribbles and gave Toulouse a brief lead with a brilliant freekick that even Messi would be proud of.
Forwards
Breel Embolo
Embolo continued his eminent form for Monaco in Ligue 1 with his fifth goal in five matches, this time finding the net for Monaco’s second goal against Clermont.
His header after only 13 minutes was the icing on the cake of another superb performance for Monaco that puts him in the team of the week.
Lionel Messi
With both Kylian Mbappe and Neymar out injured, all eyes were on Lionel Messi to be PSG’s hero against Toulouse, and he did not disappoint.
With a trademark curler from the edge of the 18-yard-box just before the hour mark, Messi won all three points for PSG and that was just one of the ways he was a thorn in the side of Toulouse.
)
Messi also completed more dribbles and fired more shots than any other player on the pitch, while also creating seven chances and hitting the woodwork once.
The goal alone, though brilliant and typical does not do justice to just how good Messi was on the night.
Edon Zhegrova
Lille’s Kosovan forward Edon Zhegrova was superb for Les Dogues in their 3-1 away win over Rennes.
Zhegrova scored Lille’s first goal and then assisted the other two, as Rennes simply could not deal with him. He almost singlehandedly rescued Lille from the jaws of defeat, scoring the equaliser just before the hour mark and creating two big chances that were converted in extra time by Remy Cabella and Andre Gomes to give Lille a comfortable victory
Habib Diallo
Habib Diallo’s first brace in two years means he was an easy choice for the Team of the Week.
)
He scored at the beginning and end of the first half, giving Strasbourg a much-needed 2-0 win over Montpellier and the first Ligue 1 brace for Diallo since November 2021.
Related content
)
18:41 - 04.02.2023
LIGUE 1 Lionel Messi scores the winner in PSG victory over Toulouse
Lionel Messi was the only one of PSG's three superstar forwards to start the game and the Argentine inspired his side to a 2-1 win.
)
08:42 - 03.02.2023
LIGUE 1 PSG sweating over Messi contract decision
Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly pushing Lionel Messi to make a decision on whether he is staying in France beyond this season
)
18:08 - 02.02.2023
UCL PSG suffer a blow as Mbappe is out of Champions League clash against Bayern
The French World Cup winner is set to miss PSG's all-important clash against the German champions this month.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)