Troyes vs PSG live score, updates, highlights from Ligue 1 as Mbappe scores with Messi suspended

By | May 7, 2023
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Life without Lionel Messi begins in earnest for Paris Saint-Germain as they travel to struggling Troyes on Sunday hoping to keep the Ligue 1 title firmly in their grasp.

Messi was suspended by the French giants for two weeks, and reports seem to indicate that he has played his last match for the club. With Neymar injured, this PSG side is truly that of Kylian Mbappe now.

The PSG squad, however, is battered and bruised, missing key players up and down the lineup as they limp to the finish line this season. They hold a three-point lead atop the Ligue 1 table but have an exceedingly soft remaining schedule.

That starts here as they take on relegation-threatened Troyes, who have not won a single league match since January 2, a run of 16 straight games without victory. That has plunged them into the thick of the expanded relegation battle, sitting 18th and needing to somehow gain 10 more points to escape, as Ligue 1 will send four teams down this season as they drop from 20 teams to 18 in 2023/24.

The Sporting News is following the Troyes vs PSG match live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.

Troyes vs PSG live score

  1st Half 2nd Half Live
Troyes 0 0 0
PSG 1 1 2

Goals:

Min Team Goal Scorer Assist
8th min PSG Kylian Mbappe  —
59th min PSG Vitinha  —

Starting lineups:

Troyes (3-4-3, right to left): 30. Gallon (GK) — 22. Zoukrou, 23. Rami, 4. Palmer-Brown — 19. Bruus (T. Balde, 68′), 24. Chavalerin, 8. Agoume (Kouame, 68′), 39. Larouci — 29. Odobert, 7. M. Balde, 9. Ugbo.

PSG (3-5-2, right to left): 99. Donnarumma (GK) — 4. Ramos, 5. Marquinhos, 15. Danilo — 33. Zaire-Emery, 8. Fabian, 6. Verratti (Sanches, 80′), 17. Vitinha, 14. Bernat — 7. Mbappe, 44. Ekitike (Soler, 80′).

Troyes vs PSG live updates, highlights, commentary

Troyes vs PSG: Second Half

80th min: The game is slowing to a crawl as PSG hope to see the match out. They make their first changes of the game, with Marco Verratti and Hugo Ekitike withdrawn, replaced by Carlos Soler and Renato Sanches. Kylian Mbappe now finds himself alone up front, with Ekitike taken off and two midfielders brought on.

74th min: Mbappe still hasn’t stopped shooting, as he lets fly with his left in the aftermath of a corner, but it can’t make it through the trees and is blocked. PSG have taken their feet off the gas pedal slightly, but Troyes are still finding it tough to get on the ball in the attacking half.

It’s the 24th shot of the match for PSG, which is the most they’ve had in a league match this season. There’s still 15 minutes to go!

68th min: The game’s first pair of substitutions come from the Troyes bench as Andreas Bruus comes off for Thierno Balde and Lucien Agoume exits as well, replaced by Rominigue Kouame. It’s a pair of midfield swaps for the hosts.

65th min: PSG produce another wonderful buildup, pinging the ball around and inside the Troyes penalty area, but it does not result in a chance as Gauthier Gallon blocked the eventual Juan Bernat cross from the left.

59th min: GOAL! PSG! Vitinha has PSG’s second! A sensational ball from deep by Marco Verratti meets the head of Vitinha, and while his initial attempt is stymied by Gauthier Gallon, the save ends up right back in Vitinha’s lap. It all happens so fast he doesn’t really even know much about the follow-up, but he doesn’t need to do much, as the ball clatters off Vitinha and straight into the goal.

A deserved second for the visitors! Troyes haven’t had much of anything this half, and have been absorbing lots of pressure.

Watch in USA:

58th min: Kylian Mbappe is threaded through with a vertical ball but the delivery is hot, and before he can reach it Gauthier Gallon comes sliding off his line to beat the French star. He does leave a trailing stud up and Mbappe is slow to get up, but the referee does not punish the Troyes goalkeeper for being a little reckless.

54th min: Chance, PSG! That would have been some goal from Kylian Mbappe, who takes aim at the far post, but it goes just wide amidst a full-stretch dive by Gauthier Gallon, who looks to be back to full strength after his injury treatment.

51st min: Chance, PSG! Marco Verratti has to put that one away! He’s fed through by Warren Zaire-Emery with a vertical ball which unlocks the PSG defence, but he shoots it right at Gauthier Gallon. The Troyes goalkeeper is down as it looked like that hit the goalkeeper right in the nether regions. Ouch.

49th min: A delicious one-touch PSG build-up goes begging as a cross from the right by Vitinha doesn’t find a mark. It looked like Warren Zaire-Emery, who was a key part of the build-up, let it dummy through his legs, but there was nobody there to meet it.

46th min: Troyes are immediately into the attack off the kickoff, but a cross from the left wing-back Yasser Larouci is collected by Gianluigi Donnarumma confidently. There was an attacker at the far post to pounce on that had Donnarumma not reached it.

Kickoff: The second half kicks off without any changes for either side. Troyes were crushed on expected goals in that first half, 2.14-0.34, but they felt more in the game than that. Had a few chances to level the score.

PSG fans have unfurled a new aggressive banner aimed this time at club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, which reads “Nasser, a president who prefers greenbacks to supporters.”

HALFTIME: Troyes 0-1 PSG

PSG have the lead on a messy early goal by Kyilan Mbappe, and that’s probably a fair score at the break. Both sides have had other chances to find the back of the net, but both goalkeepers are playing well and there’s been a few misses as well.

Without Lionel Messi, PSG still look dangerous in the attacking third, but their biggest weakness has been their vulnerability on the counter, which has been an issue all season.

PSG haven’t lost when scoring first in league play in 52 straight matches. Can they hang on here on the road against a relegation candidate?

Troyes vs PSG: First Half

45+2 min: Mama Balde is given a yellow card for a late challenge on Sergio Ramos after a heavy touch, but it was more clumsy than naughty, so no further action is taken. That’s the final action of the first half.

44th min: Chance, Troyes! WHAT A SAVE GIANLUIGI DONNARUMMA! A really dangerous cross from Xavier  Chavalerin catches the PSG defence off guard, and Mama Balde comes flying in to meet the low delivery with a diving header. It is destined for the lower right corner but Donnarumma gets down to make a really good reflex save!

43rd min: Troyes finally get into the attacking third again on a counter-attack, but Ike Ugbo’s shot is blocked out over the end line by Sergio Ramos for a corner. The set-piece is cleared by Hugo Ekitike.

40th min: Kylian Mbappe has gone for goal at every single opportunity. This time, he drags a right-footed shot just wide of the left post with a hit from the top of the penalty area. Not far off!

37th min: Goodness, Kylian Mbappe goes for glory and looks for an overhead bicycle hit, but he can’t make contact with Marco Verratti’s cross from the right.

34th min: PSG are showing more patience in possession now, knocking around the ball with little effect. Kylian Mbappe eventually latches onto a lofted lateral delivery by Marco Verratti and earns a corner, which is cleared by an Erik Palmer-Brown header.

28th min: Chance, Troyes! A HUGE CHANCE FOR TROYES GOES BEGGING! On a vicious counter-attack, Gianluigi Donnarumma comes out to contest the through-ball to Mama Balde, and clears the ball with a sliding challenge. He sends Balde flying, but did complete a legal challenge. The rebound falls right into the lap of Ike Ugbo, and he produces a good rip, but it’s blocked by Marquinhos with the goal gaping.

There’s a penalty shout by the hosts as it looked like Warren Zaire-Emery got physical with Balde alongside Donnarumma’s challenge, but VAR has a look and denies to intervene. Probably the right call, although Zaire-Emery is a bit lucky, as if the referee had whistled for a penalty, VAR also likely wouldn’t have overturned it. Close.

21st min: Chance, PSG! After Ekitike slipped while shooting minutes earlier, now Fabian Ruiz also ends up on the turf while having a go on goal. He slips too, but still produces a good effort that forces Gauthier Gallon into a diving save!

On the ensuing corner, Danilo Pereira meets the delivery with his head, but puts it just over the crossbar! Two close efforts as PSG search for a second. Troyes have had almost no possession in the PSG half this entire match.

19th min: Sergio Ramos lets fly from distance, and it’s not a bad effort for a centre-back! While it has venomous curl right to left, it doesn’t have the required dip, and it flashes over the crossbar.

Moments later, Hugo Ekitike slips as he shoots from a central position out top the penalty are, and the result is a tame effort easily collected by Gauthier Gallon.

17th min: Just a two minute delay comes to a close as the match is back under way. The flares were cleared quite quickly by the Troyes grounds crew, but there’s still significant smoke around Gianluigi Donnarumma’s six-yard box.

While the PSG supporters are likely not the culprits of the flares, they were seen with a banner that said “freedom for the supporters,” clearly a reference to those who had their tickets cancelled after protesting in front of Neymar’s house.

15th min: The match is stopped as a bunch of flares are thrown onto the field in the penalty area on the side of the field PSG are defending. It’s hard to believe that the PSG fans have thrown the flares, as they are hemmed in by a netting that surrounds the away supporters at Stade de l’Aube.

Either way, the match is halted as the grounds crew clears what looks to be about 6-8 flares on the field. Crowd trouble has been a huge issue across the French top flight this season.

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8th min: GOAL! PSG! What a weird goal, as Kylian Mbappe puts PSG in front! The visitors burst down the right, and the cross from Vitinha takes a MASSIVE deflection off the face of Erik Palmer-Brown. The ball appears for all the world that it’s going out of play over the crossbar, but it somehow stays in play, deflecting off the top of the crossbar and right to Mbappe at the far post, who heads it in uncontested.

It’s a totally fluky goal for Troyes to concede, but the way things have been going, PSG will take it!

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5th min: After the ball hits the referee, PSG take the drop ball quickly and Marco Verratti feeds Kylian Mbappe through down the left, but the ball is just too hot for Mbappe to reach.

2nd min: Chance, PSG! Hugo Ekitike puts it wide! Pouncing on a lateral cross at the near post, the 20-year-old meets the ball but can’t redirect it on goal, sending it wide to the near side. Good early attacking intent from PSG, but the first opportunity of the match goes begging.

Kickoff: PSG are under way on the road at Troyes, and this is Kylian Mbappe’s team now! Mbappe has been passed atop the Ligue 1 goal table by Alexandre Lacazette after his four-goal haul against Montpellier. Will Mbappe answer?

Troyes vs PSG: Pre-match commentary, analysis, stats, and more

13 mins to kick: One player to watch today is Hugo Ekitike. While everyone talks about the absences of Lionel Messi and Neymar, Ekitike is the one to step in and fill those shoes. He doesn’t need to be the same player as Messi, but he needs to compliment Kylian Mbappe up front and let the PSG leader shine. What will he bring to the table?

There have been reports that PSG would like to shed the 20-year-old after just one season, but he now has a chance to prove his value to the club, according to L’Equipe.

30 mins to kick: According to reports from earlier today in both RMC Sport and Relevo, plus one from a week ago in The Athletic, despite PSG’s desire to offload some of their big-money attacking stars, the French club is hoping to keep Sergio Ramos next season. They are close to a one-year extension for the 37-year-old, which would be a surprise given his age and performances this season.

45 mins to kick: Elsewhere in Ligue 1, there was one of the matches of the weekend across Europe as earlier today, Lyon beat Montpellier 5-4. The hosts were down 1-4 in the 55th minute after Elye Wahi scored a quadruple, but Alexandre Lacazette matched that feat with four of his own, including the winning penalty all the way in the 100th minute!

The result has little effect on PSG’s title chase given Lyon’s disappointing season, but in the battle for European places in the French league, it matters greatly. Lyon now sit seventh, tied with sixth-place Stade Rennes on points and three back of fifth-placed Lille. Only the top five clubs in Ligue 1 will qualify for Europe this season, as 13th-placed Toulouse snatched the other Europa League place by winning the 2023 Coupe de France.

60 mins to kick: Lineups are in. As we knew ahead of time, Lionel Messi is absent from the PSG squad, with Kylian Mbappe the lone superstar forward remaining amongst the attack. Mbappe is joined by Hugo Ekitike, who has something to prove these final few matches amidst a title charge, with the two up top above a five-man midfield. PSG are so thin they can only name eight subs despite nine allowed.

U.S. international Erik Palmer-Brown is in the lineup for Troyes, while the only change for the hosts is young Canadian star Ike Ugbo’s introduction into the starting lineup, replacing struggling playmaker Jeff Rhine-Adelaide.

82 mins to kick: Today’s venue, the Stade de l’Aube, is a unique venue which seats just over 20,000 fans. The stadium was the first to install a hybrid turf/grass surface known as AirFibr back in 2013, which was developed by French company Natural Grass.

The surface features all natural grass on top, but underneath, there is a mix of cork, synthetic fibers, and extra-fine silica sand which are meant to help reduce injuries. Since, the surface has been installed in other venues, most notably in high-trafficked portions of the pitch at Arsenal’s training ground at London Colney.

105 mins to kick: Lionel Messi isn’t the only PSG star forward in the headlines. Neymar, who has been sidelined by injury for months and is out the rest of the year, has also been in the news of late, for multiple reasons, but none of them good.

First, there were peripheral reports that PSG were open to loaning Neymar out next year for the final year of his contract, signaling that the club may be determined to hit the reset button on their superstar project. Then, PSG publicly criticised fans who crossed the line of personal safety by protesting outside Neymar’s home in Paris, canceling the tickets of nearly 450 ultras who participated in the demonstrations for today’s match.

If you see PSG’s away support today at half capacity at Stade de l’Aube, that’s why.

120 mins to kick: As life without the exiled Lionel Messi begins for PSG, Javier Mascherano believes that fans will come to regret their treatment of the Argentine as they look back in 10 years. Yet the numbers suggest it may take just 90 minutes for PSG supporters to want him back.

Messi has played 35 matches this season for PSG across Ligue 1 and the Champions League, while missing six. In the games Messi played, PSG scored 2.4 goals per game and conceded just 1.0, winning 26 while drawing three and losing six. Without him, PSG won just twice, with two draws and two defeats, scoring just 1.2 goals per game and conceding 1.5.

If PSG slip to this Troyes side, it would be quite clear that Messi was far from the issue in the French capital.

Troyes vs PSG lineups & team news

Compared to today’s opponents, Troyes come into this match with significant health. Given that winger Renaud Ripart (ACL) and midfielder Florian Tardieu (Achilles) have missed much of the season due to long-term injuries, the only real concern is to full-back Abdu, as the Portuguese youth international has missed the last five games but could return here.

Fans will recognise some of the names in the Troyes squad. Wearing the captain’s armband is 37-year-old former France international Adil Rami, who has had stops at AC Milan, Marseille, and Fenerbahce throughout his lengthy career.

U.S. international Erik Palmer-Brown has been a standout performer in defence. Former Arsenal youth product Jeff Rhine-Adelaide often starts in a playmaking role, but he is replaced in the lineup today by budding Canadian international Ike Ugbo who earns a rare start. Guinea-Bissau international Mama Balde is the main goalscorer with 12 goals and 4 assists this season.

Troyes starting lineup (3-4-3): Gallon (GK) — Zoukrou, Rami, Palmer-Brown — Bruus, Chavalerin, Agoume, Larouci — Odobert, Balde, Ugbo.

Troyes subs (9): (Lineups released one hour prior to kickoff)

PSG will be without Lionel Messi, who was suspended for two weeks by the club and may have played his last game for the Parisian side. Neymar also remains out injured, meaning just Kylian Mbappe remains from the three-headed attacking monster.

Yet those are just the tip of the iceberg for PSG’s squad troubles the rest of the season. Achraf Hakimi is missing tonight due to suspension after being sent off last time out, while Nuno Mendes and Nordi Mukiele are both out for the season with hamstring injuries, meaning PSG are without their top three full-backs. Meanwhile, Presnel Kimpembe is out for the season as well and Renato Sanches is only fit enough for the bench after returning from a groin injury, leaving the squad incredibly thin.

The host of absences presses one of PSG’s 17-year-olds in Warren Zaire-Emery into a starting role, with the other, El Chadaille Bitshiabu, available off the bench. PSG are so strapped for players that they have only dressed eight substitutes, despite being allowed nine.

PSG starting lineup (3-5-2): Donnarumma (GK) — Ramos, Marquinhos, Danilo — Zaire-Emery, Fabian, Verratti, Vitinha, Bernat — Mbappe, Ekitike.

PSG subs (8): Rico (GK), Letellier (GK), Bithiabu, Nhaga, Sanches, Soler, Gharbi, Housni.

How to watch Troyes vs PSG

  Date Time TV Channel Streaming
UK Sun, May 7 19:45 BST BT Sport 3 BT Sport App, BTSport.com
USA Sun, May 7 14:45 ET beIN Sports, beIN Sports en Espanol Fubo, beIN Sports Connect
Australia Mon, May 8 04:45 AEST beIN Sports 2 beIN Sports Connect, kayo sports
Canada Sun, May 7 14:45 ET beIN Sports, beIN Sports en Espanol Fubo, beIN Sports Connect
Hong Kong Mon, May 8 02:45 HKT beIN Sports 2 beIN Sports Connect, Now Player
India Mon, May 8 00:15 IST Sports 18  —
Malaysia Mon, May 8 02:45 MYT  —  —
New Zealand Mon, May 8 06:45 NZST Sky Sport 7 beIN Sport beIN Sports Connect
Singapore Mon, May 8 02:45 SST  —  —

Troyes vs PSG betting odds & lines

As one of the most talented teams in France, even with the squad constraints, PSG are considered heavy favourites in this match against a struggling opponent on a long winless run. In fact, it hardly seems like PSG’s laundry list of absences are affecting their odds in the slightest.

It’s also thought that this game will feature lots of goals, which is surprising given Lionel Messi’s absence and the struggles of Troyes to score. The relegation-threatened club can defend quite well at times, but struggles to find the back of the net.

  Troyes
win		 Draw PSG
win		 Both teams
to score Y / N		 Over / Under
3.5 goals		 PSG
-1.5		 TRY
+1.5
BetMGM
(USA)		 +675 +475 -300 -150 / +105 +100 / -135 -115 -120
Sports
Interaction
(Canada)		 +690 +481 -356 -156 / +100 -101 / -132 -122 -104
SkyBet
(UK)		 8/1 19/4 2/7 4/6, 11/10 1/1, 8/11 — —
Neds
(Australia)		 8.50 5.20 1.32 1.70 / 2.05 2.05 / 1.70 — —
Dafabet
(India)		 7.40 5.80 1.31 1.74 / 2.02 2.09 / 1.74 1.86 1.94

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