Paris Saint-Germain 2-3 Clermont Foot: Champions surrender 2-0 lead as Lionel Messi farewell ends in shock defeat

Lionel Messi made his final appearance for Paris-Saint Germain but couldn’t prevent his side falling to a shock 3-2 loss to Clermont in their last Ligue 1 game of the season.

Sergio Ramos – who is also leaving the club this summer – opened the scoring at Parc des Princes with a header from Vitinha’s cross.

Kylian Mbappe doubled PSG’s lead five minutes later but Clermont roared back thanks to goals by Johan Gastien, Medhi Zeffane and Grejohn Kyei.

Mbappe’s penalty ensured he finished the campaign with 29 goals and the Golden Boot after Achraf Hakimi was fouled by Alidu Seidu before Marco Verratti’s mis-placed back pass to Gianluigi Donnarumma gifted Gastien a tap-in.

Kyei then dragged his spot-kick horribly wide to pass up an opportunity for a first half equaliser but Zeffane couldn’t miss after Donnarumma parried a cross into his path, with the scores level at 2-2 at half-time.

Ten minutes after the restart, Messi spurned a wonderful opportunity for his 17th goal of the term, blazing over from Mbappe’s pass.

In an end-to-end game, Grejohn Kyai completed the comeback for Clermont by applying the finish to Elbasan Rashani’s cross.

PSG rallied in an attempt to draw level and Messi, with his final act in the colours of PSG, saw his trademark free-kick parried wide by goalkeeper Mory Diaw.

The result means PSG finish the season as champions on 85 points, just one ahead of Lens, while Clermont secure a top-eight finish.

Talking point – Messi leaves Paris in defeat

Messi may have been booed by sections of the PSG support during his time in France – and received a mixed reception in his final outing – but the World Cup winner has certainly played his part as the Parisiens landed a record 11th domestic title. He has scored 32 goals and registered 30 assists since arriving in August 2021. This season he has 16 goals and 16 assists. Only compatriot Angel Di Maria has more assists in a single Ligue 1 season with 18.

As a collective unit, however, it has been a season to forget for PSG, despite their Ligue 1 success. Christophe Galtier’s side have suffered a rocky second half of the season, being defeated in five home game this calendar year, being eliminated by Bayern Munich in the last-16 stage of the Champions League, while also losing in the same round of the Coupe de France to Marseille.

Question marks remain over Galtier’s future and tonight’s insipid performance won’t have done him any favours.

Player of the match – Elbasan Rashani (Clermont)

Delivered an outstanding performance operating just behind the central striker.

Player ratings

PSG: Donnarumma 5, Bitshiabu 6, Ramos 6, Pereira 5, Hakimi 6, Vitinha 6, Verratti 4, Zaire Emery 5, Messi 6, Ekitike 5, Mbappe 7.. subs: Letellier N/A, Marquinhos N/A, Sanches 5, Gharbi N/A, Soler 5.

Clermont: Diaw 7, Seidu 7, Wieteska 6, Caufriez 6, Zeffane 7, Gonalons 7, Gastien 7, Borges 6, Cham 7, Kyei 8, Rashani 8*.. subs: Allevinah 6, Magnin 5, Khaoui 5, Andric N/A, Ogier N/A.

Match highlights

16’ – GOAL! PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 1-0 CLERMONT (SERGIO RAMOS): Fittingly, Ramos scores in the 16th-minute, when PSG fans had planned their tribute to Sergio Rico. On his final appearance for PSG, Ramos meets Vitinha’s cross from Messi’s short corner and his header nestles in the corner.

21’ – GOAL! PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 2-0 CLERMONT (KYLIAN MBAPPE): Mbappe scores his 29th goal of the season, confidently dispatching his spot-kick after sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. He holds up Sergio Rico’s jersey to mark his goal.

24’ – GOAL! PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 2-1 CLERMONT (JOHAN GASTIEN): Donnarumma gives the ball to Verratti inside his own box, and the Italian tries to knock it back to his goalkeeper but doesn’t get enough on his pass! That gifts Gastien a simple tap-in to halve the deficit!

37’ – MISSED PENALTY! Oh wow, that is a horrible penalty by Kyei! He drags his spot-kick well, well wide and that’s a huge let off for PSG.

45’ – GOAL! PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 2-2 CLERMONT (MEDHI ZEFFANE): Clermont are deservedly level just before the break! Zeffane is perfectly placed to convert a tap-in after Donnarumma could only parry a cross into his path.

55′ – MESSI… NO! Oh, that is so unlike Messi! Remarkable acceleration from Mbappe sees him leaving Seidu in his wake and he unselfishly looks up and plays to Messi, leaving the World Cup winner with what looks like a simple finish. But he leans back and blazes his shot over the bar. A huge miss!

63′ – GOAL! PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 2-3 CLERMONT (GREJOHN KYEI): Comeback complete! Rashani whips a devilish cross to the near post and Kyei gets the crucial touch to beat Donnarumma.

Key stat

Paris Saint-Germain conceded 24 goals at home in Ligue 1 2022/23, their highest tally at the Parc des Princes in a single season in the top-flight since 1984/85 (28).