Draxler's late goal gives depleted PSG first Ligue 1 win of season
Julian Draxler scored on added time on Wednesday night to provide depleted Paris Saint-Germain their initial league win of the growing season, 1-0 at home against Metz.
PSG, shorn of several stars before start, were playing with nine men when Draxler pounced on a rebound to nod home PSG's first goal of the league season.
"I'm incredibly proud, it's incredible, honestly. I still need to consider it because I still can't believe that," PSG coach Thomas Tuchel explained after the game.
PSG, who began the overall game seriously depleted, were reduced to 10 men after 65 minutes when central defender Abdou Diallou collected a second yellow cards and his club's fourth of the growing season.
In the dying seconds, defender Juan Bernat, a 63rd minute substitute, limped off with a knee injury, departing PSG, who had used almost all their replacements with nine men.
"All the fans could be proud, we even now deserved to win, in 9 against 11," stated Tuchel.
As the game was in progress, the French league announced bans of two games for Neymar and Leandro Paredes and six games for Layvin Kurzawa after their red cards throughout a home loss to Marseille on Sunday that ended in a brawl.
Another star attacker, Kylian Mbappe, remains on coronavirus quarantine while Thilo Kehrer and Marco Verratti are injured.
But striker Mauro Icardi, centreback Marquinhos and goalie Keylor Navas returned after spells in quarantine.
"We made a whole lot of effort, we'd a lot of improvements, we used a whole lot of players who've not trained for a while...with players who haven't played for some time," said Tuchel. "But the effort remains."
PSG had opened the growing season with two defeats for the very first time since 1984/85, losing by a single goal to Lens and Marseille.
They again dominated possession over Wednesday but lacked a leading edge until Draxler pounced in the dying seconds and saved them from starting a season goalless in three goalless for the very first time within their 50-year history.
"At 11 we missed all our chances, in the next half we were tired, it wasn't easy to create chances, at 10 we still had two superb chances, we still miss, we don't score," said Tuchel. "This crew has displayed once again that they have a fantastic spirit."
Metz coach Vincent Hogon blamed his team.
"We ruined everything. If we lost tonight it's our fault, because we permit in an objective at nine against 11," he said "No, that isn't allowed."
