Christophe Galtier lauds 2 PSG stars after hard-fought 2-1 win against Lorient 

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) manager Christophe Galtier has lauded duo Hugo Ekitike and Danilo Pereira for their performances in the side's 2-1 win over FC Lorient on 6 November.

The Parisians fought to a hard-earned win at Stade du Moustoir, courtesy of Neymar's ninth-minute strike and Danilo's 81st-minute thumping header.

Ekitike lined up in attack to replace Lionel Messi, who was sidelined with an Achilles issue.

The young Frenchman had two shots, one on target, and managed to create on big chance.

He has made 11 appearances across competitions, scoring one goal.

Meanwhile, Danilo was superb at the back while grabbing the winner.

The Portuguese defender made two clearances, one tackle and won three of his five aerial duels.

Danilo has missed four of the Parisians' fixtures lately through a hamstring injury but returned to play two minutes of PSG's 2-1 win over Juventus in the Champions League on 2 November.

He has made 16 appearances across competitions, scoring one goal, and helped PSG keep six clean sheets.

Galtier was relieved to get the victory over Lorient and was particularly impressed by Ekitike and Danilo's performances.

He told the club's official website:

"Concerning the choice of players, Danilo hadn't started a game for a while and he was awesome, obviously in defence, but also in pour creating the overlap. So he was very valuable in defence, but also obviously dangerous from attacking set pieces."

Touching on Ekitike, Galtier added:

"I liked Hugo's ability to put in a lot of effort for the team and his ability to create situations for himself. Unfortunately, he didn't get the chance to score his first goal. But he should continue like that, it was a promising performance. And then the substitutes came on with a lot of determination. There was a real desire from the squad to win today."

Next up for Galtier's men is a home clash with Auxerre on 13 November, which will be their final game ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

They will be top of Ligue 1 when the tournament arrives, as they are five points ahead of second-placed Lens.

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PSG's victory over Lorient was marred by Kylian Mbappe heading down the tunnel in the 85th minute

Mbappe was not fond of watching from the substitutes bench

PSG secured a well-earned win over Lorient, but all the headlines are again about Mbappe.

The French forward was quiet against Lorient and failed to continue the form which has seen him score 18 goals and provide five assists in 19 appearances.

He was substituted in the 85th minute for Pablo Sarabia and decided to head straight down the tunnel.

Fans have criticized the former AS Monaco striker for his actions as he has taken away from what was an important victory for Galtier's side.