Strasbourg vs. PSG result: Messi, Mbappe rue late Strasbourg comeback in wild 3-3 draw

Kyle Bonn

•
Strasbourg vs. PSG result: Messi, Mbappe rue late Strasbourg comeback in wild 3-3 draw image

With the Ligue 1 title already in hand, PSG hit the road to take on sixth-placed Strasbourg at the Stade de la Meinau. The 90 minutes were a perfect encapsulation of why this season has been so frustrating.

Crowned Ligue 1 champions last week, PSG found itself in a dogfight with a Strasbourg side boosted by a European battle and a boisterous home crowd.

The hosts got on the board early as former PSG striker Kevin Gameiro found a surprise opener. While Strasbourg was made to rue some other early misses, there was no doubt the hosts were up for the challenge.

Neymar and Kylian Mbappe provided the biggest spark for PSG, eventually going 3-1 up after halftime, but a vicious fightback from the hosts saw the points eventually shared. Substitutes bagged both late goals for Strasbourg, with Hamad Diallo doing the hard work on a Marco Verratti own-goal to pull one back before Anthony Caci found the equalizer in stoppage time.

The hosts will value the point greatly, in a battle for a European place. PSG meanwhile slumps to another draw after coughing up a late lead, after doing the same last week against Lens.

MORE: Is Lionel Messi leaving PSG? Latest news & rumors

Sporting News will be following the match live and providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.

Strasbourg vs. PSG final score

  1H 2H Final
Strasbourg 1 2 3
PSG 1 2 3

Goals:
3rd min — RCS — Kevin Gameiro
23rd min — PSG — Kylian Mbappe
64th min — PSG — Achraf Hakimi
68th min — PSG — Kylian Mbappe
75th min — RCS — Marco Verratti (og)
90+1 min — RCS — Anthony Caci

Commentary:

FULL-TIME: Strasbourg 3-3 PSG

What a comeback! The hosts will be very happy with the point, while PSG will feel coughing up a two-goal lead feels like a loss.

PSG played a three-back system, and may not do that again as Pochettino was made to rue the tactical experimentation. Kevin Gameiro was fantastic, and the two late goals for Strasbourg were both created by substitutes as the home managerial staff pulled the strings.

90+4 min: CHANCE, Strasbourg! Can you imagine??? Strasbourg so close to a famous comeback win! The ball banging around the penalty area, but Diallo scuffs his shot attempt well wide.

Donnarumma booked for time wasting.

90+1 min: GOAL! STRASBOURG! For the second straight week, PSG coughs up a late lead! Strasbourg saw the first chance denied as Gameiro's volley hits the face of the substitute Kehrer, but it's not cleared, and Strasbourg cashes in on the second chance.

A cross in from the left by Lienard falls to Strasbourg substitute Anthony Caci, and he ripples the back of the net for a dramatic late equalizer. Presnel Kimpembe is yellow carded for dissent.

90th min: CHANCE, Strasbourg! With a shot from almost the same spot as Gameiro minutes earlier, Diallo now finds himself with an opportunity, but it ends up the same result, wide of the near post. Another chance from Strasbourg as regulation ends.

Five minutes of stoppage time incoming. Mbappe takes a rip on the volley from distance on a turnover, and it flies over.

89th min: CHANCE, PSG! Messi crops up for the first time in the match, letting fly with an off-balance left-footed shot, but it stings the gloves of Matz Sels and falls out for a corner.

Thilo Kehrer comes on for Achraf Hakimi.

Watch in the USA:

84th min: PSG has been the aggressor since the Gameiro miss, and only a heroic tackle from substitute Ibrahima Sissoko keeps the visitors from converting a golden opportunity created by Lionel Messi, who has had a quiet game.

Angel Di Maria comes in off the PSG bench in favor of Neymar, who was fabulous in the match.

78th min: CHANCE, Strasbourg! Oh goodness, it's almost a horrific collapse by PSG! Strasbourg right back on the attack, and Kevin Gameiro nearly has his second, but a slash with his left foot goes wide. Gameiro unleashes a primal scream, knowing he probably should have pulled Strasbourg level.

Mauricio Pochettino makes his first change, bringing in regular starter Nuno Mendes for his fill-in today Juan Bernat, who was beaten in the air by Diallo on the second Strasbourg goal.

75th min: GOAL! STRASBOURG! A corner for Strasbourg sees the hosts pull one back! Hamid Diallo comes off the bench and towers above the PSG defense to meet the ball and power it into the back of the net.

Replays show the ball actually clipped off the leg of Verratti, so he'll get credited with an own goal. Nonetheless, it's a lifeline for Strasbourg!

Watch in the USA:

73rd min: Neymar is furious after he goes into the referee's book for cleaning out Prcic. The Brazilian is right in the referee's face, pleading that it's his first foul, but to no avail.

68th min: GOAL! PSG! Playing from behind against a deadly team like PSG can cause problems at the back, and that's what happens here as the Parisians put it away. A horrid mistake by Alexander Djiku on an attempted back-pass to the goalkeeper instead directly threads Mbappe through on goal, and the French superstar doesn't miss his chance.

A pair of uncharacteristic defensive mistakes by Strasbourg are now suddenly the difference in this match.

Watch in the USA:

64th min: GOAL! PSG! The world-class Marco Verratti gets PSG out of the back with a twisting run, and it comes forward to the attacking players, started again by Neymar. The Brazilian threads Mbappe through on a burst, and his cutback found Achraf Hakimi all by his lonesome at the penalty spot for an easy finish. Hakimi has found a pot of gold with how wide open he was, and he delivers.

Watch in the USA:

If this scoreline holds, it's the first time all season Strasbourg will have lost from a winning position.

62nd min: CHANCE, Strasbourg! Again on a ball from deep, Ajorque with no support forward takes it himself from a very tight angle, and he snuck it past Donnarumma but squeaked through across the face of goal and out of play. The flag was up anyways, but again Donnarumma looks shaky.

61st min: A foul by Dimitri Lienard on Hakimi earns him a yellow card. There's some pushing and shoving in the aftermath, as the game starts to get a bit testy. Strasbourg getting in PSG's head a bit.

56th min: CHANCE, Strasbourg! What a goal that would have been! Prcic has a rip from WAY far out, and it comes inches from finding the top-right corner. It was a howitzer and had Donnarumma beaten. What a rip! So close.

Watch in the USA:

55th min: The game is energetic and end-to-end to start the second half, but it hasn't produced much in front of net. Leonard has a hit from the top of the penalty area, and it's got real pace, but it slams into the back of a ducking Achraf Hakimi before it can test Donnarumma.

50th min: The second half has started a big cagey, and Mbappe goes down in the penalty area holding his face. The referee did not whistle for a foul, and the replay shows there's nothing much in the contest from Gerzino Nyamsi. Mbappe was falling down, and got inadvertently poked in the eye on his way.

46th min: The second half is under way, with no changes for either side.

HALF-TIME: Strasbourg 1-1 PSG

The hosts got a goal off the early pressure, but will rue a few missed chances as well. PSG were good in spurts, and Neymar has willed the team back even, but Parisian fans will not be impressed that the team is essentially even on the run of play with Strasbourg.

The second half has the promise to be just as entertaining. Kevin Gameiro's early strike sealed his unlikely place among the best French goalscorers of the last two decades.

Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe continues his stunning campaign, establishing himself as one of the best players ever in the modern French top flight.

43rd min: Neymar is playing well, and feeds through Messi down the right, but Messi was offside and had to hold up, which eliminates the chance. PSG are building into the match but not able to take the lead.

40th min: Kylian Mbappe is fouled at the top of the penalty area, linking up well with Neymar again and hip-checked by Sanjin Prcic, who earns a yellow card for the foul. Neymar sends the ball into orbit.

33rd min: PSG has slowly built into the match, but Strasbourg has proven dangerous throughout. The referee played advantage as Bellegarde is taken down, but the chance is wasted as Frederic Guilbert rifles a shot into row Z.

Strasbourg fans unveil a banner that reads "Football is chic when morals take precedence over money."

27th min: CHANCE, PSG! Lionel Messi, who's had a difficult season, delivered a free-kick with some venom, and it's fingertipped wide by Sels for a corner. It didn't quite look like the shot was on target, but Sels didn't take any chances, and got barely a touch to the ball to tip it wide.

23rd min: GOAL! PSG! Strasbourg may rue the missed chances, and it had to be Kylian Mbappe to rescue PSG from its early struggles. Neymar with a fabulous ball out of the back on the break, and Mbappe at full speed closes down Matz Sels to finish calmly. Sels came out to challenge, and the 30-year-old Belgian had no chance. It's a taste of Strasbourg's own medicine, as the home side playing on the counter gets hit on the counter.

Watch in the USA:

Watch in the UK:

11th min: CHANCE, Strasbourg! The pressure continues from the hosts, and the ball is in the back of the net, but it's pulled back for offside on the initial feed through to Ludovic Ajorque. The ball to Ajorque from deep on the right flank was an absolute stunner, but he was just leaning inches off when it was delivered. VAR confirms the decision, and Thomasson's deflected effort is nullified. Donnarumma, who got beat at his near post on the opening goal, was utterly rooted to the spot by the deflection.

Despite the letoff, PSG are being utterly battered at the back.

8th min: CHANCE, Strasbourg! Gameiro nearly had a second inside 10 minutes! The ball appeared to be going over the end line after popping up awkwardly off the foot of Kimpembe, but somehow Adrien Thomasson kept it in play and whipped it in across the face of goal. Gameiro came flying in and so very nearly got his head to the ball to put it home, but it was just out of reach.

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was booked for diving in the aftermath, which was probably the right call.

3rd min: GOAL! STRASBOURG! OH MY WHAT A GOAL KEVIN GAMEIRO! A brilliant through-ball from Lucas Perrin feeds Gameiro through, getting by Presnel Kimpembe, but Gameiro still had plenty of work to do to finish it from a very tight angle. The former PSG man hit it with venom and roofed the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma, giving the hosts a stunning early opener.

Watch in the USA:

Watch in the UK:

1st min: The match is under way! It's quite loud at the Stade de la Meinau, the home fans have been full-throated in song for some time now, as the game kicks off in eastern France.

10 mins before kick: This is a really huge match for Strasbourg in the race for a European place, and the home fans are in full voice as the hosts warm up.

42 mins before kick: Find someone who looks at you the way Kevin Gameiro looks at the Stade de la Meinau.

65 mins before kick: Lineups are in. The only oddity for PSG is that Juan Bernat starts in place of Nuno Mendes, who drops to the bench, presumably for some rest with the title won. That's the only change, as the rest of the regulars all start, including Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal. Even with nothing to play for, there's no room for Angel Di Maria, Ander Herrera, or Gini Wijnaldum.

For Strasbourg, there's one change from the loss to Lille last time out, as Anthony Caci drops to the bench for Dimitri Lienard at left wing-back. Former PSG man Kevin Gameiro and in-form Ludovic Ajorque continue to lead the attack.

93 mins before kick: The PSG squad has made the trip to Strasbourg, signing autographs and taking pictures with fans along the way. The cities are about 300 miles apart directly east-west, with Strasbourg sitting on the eastern edge of France right on the border with Germany. Would be about a five hour drive, so PSG took to the air instead.

120 mins before kick (7:00 p.m. local time): Welcome to our live coverage of Strasbourg vs. Paris Saint-Germain. PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino continues to stand his ground regarding rumors of a pending departure from the club.

Strasbourg vs. PSG lineups

The hosts have dealt with a long injury list for some time. Dimitri Lienard, Jean-Eudes Aholou, Nordine Kandil, Marvin Elimbi, Abdul Majeed Waris, and Ismael Doukoure are all missing, as they were last weekend.

There are, however, no fresh injury concerns from the narrow loss to Lille last time out, giving head coach Julien Stéphan some hope for consistency.

Kevin Gameiro and Ludovic Ajorque lead the attack for Strasbourg, with Gameiro taking the field against his former club. He scored in the reverse fixture, a 4-2 defeat in Paris.

Strasbourg starting lineup (5-3-2): Sels (GK) — Lienard, Perrin, Nyamsi, Djiku, Guilbert — Prcic, Thomasson, Bellegarde — Gameiro, Ajorque.

Strasbourg subs (9): Kawashima (GK), Le Marchand, Fila, Caci, M. Diarra, Aholou, Sissoko, H. Diallo, Sahi.

For PSG, Julian Draxler and Leandro Paredes are done for the season, while Mauro Icardi's injury-plagued campaign continues with another match on the sidelines.

Idrissa Gueye is suspended for yellow card accumulation as well, leaving another hole in the midfield. Danilo could line up next to sublime Italy playmaler Marco Verratti.

There's still the question of who will remain in goal as well, with Keylor Navas taking the field in the title-clinching match in place of a struggling Gianluigi Donnarumma. This quandary has been one of the many season-long sagas that has troubled Mauricio Pochettino time and again.

PSG starting lineup (3-5-2): Navas (GK) — Marquinhos, Ramos, Kimpembe — Hakimi, Verratti, Danilo, Bernat – Messi, Mbappe, Neymar.

PSG subs (9): Navas (GK), Kehrer, Nuno, Simons, Wijnaldum, Ebimbe, Michut, Herrera, Di Maria.

MORE: PSG draws Lens to secure Ligue 1 title

How to watch Strasbourg vs. PSG

  UK USA Canada Australia
Date Sat, April 23 Sat, April 23 Sat, April 23 Sun, April 24
Time 20:00 BST 15:00 ET 15:00 ET 05:00 AEST
TV channel BT Sport 3 beIN Sports beIN Sports beIN Sports
Streaming BT Sport site/app fuboTV fuboTV Foxtel Go, Kayo

Strasbourg vs. PSG betting lines, picks & prediction

Odds via DraftKings (USA) & Sports Interaction (Canada)

PSG have already limped their way to the finish line for the season, and looked pretty mediocre doing so. They have been poor since elimination from the Champions League, clearly lacking motivation with hardly anything to play for.

Now that the trophy is secure, PSG have nothing left to gain but fan favour and it seems even positive results may not even be enough for that.

Strasbourg, meanwhile, have a scrap for a place in the Europa League on the agenda and will be desperate to secure points against the confirmed champions. The club has lost four in a row to PSG, but managed a pair of draws through the 2018-19 season and beat the Parisians at home in February of 2017, so there is fairly recent precedence for a positive result.

The club's attack goes through French striker Ludovic Ajorque, the 28-year-old who is having a fine season with 12 goals and eight assists. Ajorque has been far more creative than ever before, doubling his previous season-high for expected assists (xA) at 6.25 - the 11th best on that metric in Ligue 1.

Strasbourg have the fourth-highest expected goals (xG) total in Ligue 1 this season, and the fifth-best expected goals against (xGA). This is a strong team defensively and offensively and they should give PSG a tough battle.

Pick: Double chance parlay — Strasbourg or Draw AND under 3.5 goals (+125)

Prediction: Strasbourg 1-1 PSG

  USA
(DraftKings)		 Canada
(Sports Interaction)		 UK
(SkyBet)
Strasbourg Win +270 +284 +275
Draw +285 +285 +280
PSG Win -105 -122 -110
Both teams
to score Y / N		 -180 / +140 -179 / +114 -188 / +138
Over / Under
2.5 goals		 -145 / +125 -153 / +119 -163 / +120
PSG -0.5 +105 -114 -
Strasbourg +0.5 -110 -112 -

Kyle Bonn

Kyle Bonn Photo

Kyle Bonn, is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.