Brest/PSG – Press ratings for PSG: immense Safonov, Nuno Mendes punished | OneFootball

On Sunday at Stade Francis-Le Blé, Paris Saint-Germain claimed a 0-1 win over Brest (Brest/PSG video highlights) on Matchday 4 of the 2026-2027 Ligue 1 season. Here are the ratings given by Le Parisien and L’Équipe to the capital club’s players (find ours here). 

Le Parisien:

L’Équipe:

Safonov adds substance to a fragile win

PSG finally earned their first Ligue 1 victory of the season, but without ever truly controlling their trip to Brest. After Ferran Torres opened the scoring early, the Parisians gradually lost their grip on the match and allowed several clear chances. Their success owed far more to their goalkeeper than to any collective dominance.

Safonov far above the rest

His unanimous 8 rating is beyond dispute. With six saves and his first clean sheet, Matvey Safonov made up for the many gaps that appeared in front of him. His rush against Doumbia, which ended with the ball hitting the post, followed by his repeated interventions against Mboup, prevented Brest from turning a second half in which they were far more dangerous into goals. In a still-fragile team, the Russian was the only true guarantor of the result.

A decisive move that doesn’t tell the whole story

Ferran Torres struck again, this time after winning the ball back himself and benefiting from a delightful backheel by Dembélé. Le Parisien places strong emphasis on that duo, while L’Équipe is more reserved, especially toward the Frenchman, rated 5 compared to 7. That gap reflects two possible readings: rewarding the move that decided the match, or penalizing attacking influence that became too intermittent after a promising start.

Pacho holds firm, Mendes exposes Paris

Willian Pacho stands out as the most solid defender, particularly in his battle with Ajorque. By contrast, Nuno Mendes sits at the bottom of both Parisian ratings lists. His pass straight through the middle could have wiped out all the previous efforts and symbolizes the technical sloppiness that kept Brest alive. Hakimi’s muscular alert also forced Zaïre-Emery to shift to the right flank, without Fabian Ruiz’s introduction restoring control in midfield.

An average win

The averages remain close, with 5.36 for L’Équipe and 5.59 for Le Parisien. They accurately describe an ordinary performance rescued by two men: Torres for the goal, Safonov for everything else. The 5 given to Luis Enrique also reflects a night when the essentials were secured, but Paris never found the collective solution to regain control.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.