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Final score: Toulouse FC 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain
Goalscorers: Neymar 68' (PSG)
League-leaders Paris Saint-Germain travelled south to take on Toulouse FC in their Ligue 1 Matchday 25 clash at the Stadium de Toulouse. Neymar returned to action after being rested for PSG's 4-1 victory against Sochaux in the Coupe de France, earlier this week.
The Brazilian seemingly continued from exactly where he had left off, being a constant pain in Toulouse's backsides.
Twisting, turning and twirling in his own characteristic manner, Neymar's deadly combination of vision and ability saw him unlock Toulouse's defence on a number of occasions, before eventually breaking the deadlock in the 68th minute, beating a helpless Alban Lafont with the help of a deflection.
As a result of this victory, coupled with Marseille's earlier 2-2 draw against Saint-Étienne, Unai Emery's men have now widened the gap at the top of the table to 13 points. On the other hand, Toulouse's woes are bound to continue as they fail to escape what could turn out to be a very messy relegation battle.
On that note, here are 5 key talking points from the game on a sunny afternoon in Toulouse, France:
#5 Neymar makes it 19
Boy, does this man know how to put on a show. He doesn't move, he glides. He doesn't dribble. He dances. He doesn't just thrive, he also thrills. The kind of form he's in, you almost expect something to happen every time he so much as caresses the ball.
Last night was no different. The €222 million-man danced and pranced past the Toulouse players as he dazzled them into nothingness. He started the game positively, creating the first chance of the game in the 5th minute - before most of the audience had even made it to their seats - only for a far-from-home Presnel Kimpembe to smash it straight into Lafonte
Linking up almost telepathically with his teammates, Neymar bamboozled the hosts on numerous occasions, before and after scoring the only goal of the game in the second half - to take his personal tally to 19 league goals for the season - completing the game with a jaw-dropping total of 100 passes - the entire Toulouse side made 199 - with an accuracy of 81%.
Further, he made 8 successful dribbles (Toulouse made 11) and took a total of 9 shots (Toulouse took 3).
Neymar's biggest adversary on the night, however, proved to be the furniture. The second half saw the talismanic forward hit the post, as well as the crossbar in a cruel sequence of events that kept him from what would have been a well-deserved hat-trick - one that would've brought him level with Edinson Cavani atop the Ligue 1 goalscoring chart.
With Neymar at the helm, it's safe to say that Paris Saint-Germain are in good hands/feet.
#4 Welcome to the Alban Lafont show
The game may have ended 1-0 in favour of Les Parisiens, but to be fair, considering the sheer number of chances PSG created, the scoreline could've very well read differently, if not for one resilient roadblock.
While Unai Emery's pen came out all guns blazing, fully intent on annihilating their southern opponents, but Alban Lafont, Toulouse's ever-impressive 19-year-old goalkeeper had other ideas.
Easily the hosts' saving grace, the youngster was at his absolute best, holding down the fort exceptionally well against one of the most brutal attacks in the world. Lafont made a total of 5 crucial saves to keep out the likes of Neymar, Mbappe, Kimpembe, and Angel Di Maria.
It must also be noted that the only goal of the game was a result of a deflection - one that Lafont could do little about.
Top-notch positioning and cat-like reflexes are what make him stand out from most of his counterparts. Still only 19, Lafont holds the record for being the youngest ever goalkeeper to play in Ligue 1, having made his debut at the tender age of 16.
Last night wasn't a one-off. It wasn't a once-in-a-while performance. Lafont has been exceptional all season. While Toulouse's league position might not be indicative enough, consider this - Toulouse are 15th on the table, and their keeper has kept 9 clean sheets.
Paris Saint-Germain, on the other hand, are comfortably seated atop the league table, but their keeper, Alphonse Areola has only kept 13 clean sheets. Considering the vast difference in quality between the two sides, that's a very impressive statistic.
It's only a matter of time until the big European clubs come calling for the Frenchman, but one thing's for sure. Regardless of where he plays, you ought to keep an eye on him.
#3 Edinson Cavani was conspicuous by his absence
PSG went into the game without their (and Ligue 1's) leading striker Edinson Cavani, who was ruled out of this match because of a hip injury, and it was always going to be interesting to see how they coped without their Uruguayan talisman - who has already amassed 21 goals in Ligue 1, and 28 in all competitions.
Without their spearhead goalscorer, their makeshift front three of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria did all that they could to minimize the influence of Cavani's absence, and while they created chances aplenty, most of them went a-begging.
Unai Emery's side piled on a total of 21 shots, of which, astonishingly, only 6 were on target, and 2 hit the woodwork. For a side that has scored 76 league goals in 25 matches, a collective shot accuracy of 28.6% doesn't bode well.
The arrival of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, and the subsequent success that the club found had allowed a shadow of a doubt to creep over Cavani's necessity in the side, with a number of people going as far as calling him their weakest link.
What's ironic though, is that Cavani has answered those doubters not just with his presence, but with his absence as well. Aside from the fact that Cavani is the leading goalscorer in France's top-tier competition, games like these glaringly highlight what the side lacks without him, and just how important he is to the side.
#2 To stop Max Gradel is to stop Toulouse
As Lafont put in a stellar performance between the sticks, Max Gradel was equally important out in the thick of things, and was, by far, Toulouse's best outfield player. The Ivorian, on loan from Bournemouth, has been a revelation this season, scoring 8 goals from 21 appearances in all competitions - already his second-highest tally in France, and for all top-tier clubs.
Gradel was a livewire last night as well, as he went toe-to-toe with Dani Alves and even beat him comfortably on occasions. He also made 26 passes, 4 successful dribbles, 5 tackles and even took 1 shot.
Unai Emery, it seemed, understood just how impactful Gradel could be, and in several points during the game, multiple PSG players were seen converging on the Ivorian as and when he had possession of the ball.
The 30-year-old is undoubtedly a driving force behind Toulouse and most of their attacking aspirations, and after the performance he put in last night, it's a pity he didn't end up on the winning side.
#1 Are PSG warmed up enough to take on Real Madrid?
No disrespect to Toulouse, but the lower-half Ligue 1 side definitely wasn't the biggest thing on Unai Emery, or any PSG player's mind. With the all-important UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie against Real Madrid scheduled to be played in 4 days, one couldn't help but wonder if last night's game was a rehearsal of sorts for the Parisiens.
With Cavani sidelined owing to injury, a bigger headache presented itself to Emery - Selecting which players needed to audition ahead of the big European clash.
Angel Di Maria, who hasn't regularly started, behind Kylian Mbappe who has been largely favoured for the right-wing slot, made the most of his opportunity as he tried to stake his claim for a spot in the starting 11.
The Argentinian made some excellent darting runs and linked up well with his teammates. He also came close to scoring in the second half, when his well-taken corner curled in menacingly, only to be deflected onto the crossbar by a feather of a touch from Lafont. With the form that he's in, it would turn out to be quite the surprise if he isn't started against the Spanish giants
Similarly, Giovani Lo Celso and Lassana Diarra were played in midfield - an opportunity to win the gaffer's trust and confidence - leaving the likes of Marco Veratti and Javier Pastore on the bench. Having closely watched almost all legitimate contenders, the question that needs to be asked now is, does Emery have his best 11 in mind to take on Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid?
More importantly, considering that his job may well be on the line, has Emery prepared his side enough for what'll be their biggest challenge yet this season? I, for one, think he has. Add to it the fact that Real Madrid have struggled this season, PSG could very well be the side that ends Los Blancos' supreme European reign.
