Paris Saint-Germain missed the chance to return to the top of the Ligue 1 table as they were held to a goalless draw by strugglers Clermont Foot. This result marks a second consecutive head-to-head without defeat for Pascal Gastien’s side.
PSG received a boost before kick-off with the news that Kylian Mbappé, who limped off in their thrashing of Marseille last week, was fit to start. He immediately proved to be their most dangerous player, creating the first big opportunity by skipping beyond his marker and finding Ousmane Dembélé. However, his goal-bound effort was brilliantly saved by Clermont’s goalkeeper, Mory Diaw.
Surprisingly, Clermont were the better side for large periods of the first half, although they struggled to create clear-cut chances against Gianluigi Donnarumma. Despite this, PSG continued to look threatening, but both Mbappé and Randal Kolo Muani were denied by the impressive Diaw.
Clermont had conceded at least twice before half-time in their previous four top-flight head-to-heads, but their strong first-half display was nearly undone moments into the second period. However, a deflection saw Dembélé’s effort go over the bar.
A moment of madness set the tone for a high-paced sequence of play, with the Lancers finally going close to an opener. Cheick Oumar Konaté’s strike was beaten away by Donnarumma, before Mbappé countered at frightening pace and saw his shot hit the woodwork.
Despite their efforts, PSG couldn’t find a way through, with Diaw denying Gonçalo Ramos and Kolo Muani, who both missed golden opportunities to win it late on. While PSG’s six-match run without an away clean sheet may have ended, there’s no doubt the Parisians will be disappointed with the result, especially after scoring 11 times across their previous two visits to Clermont.
On the other hand, Clermont’s resilient display saw them leapfrog Lyon and move off the bottom of the table. Gastien’s players clearly responded to his rallying cry for points after a miserable start to the season.