Auxerre 0-1 Paris FC: Sinayoko strikes against old club to lift PFC to 2nd

He was back at the Abbé-Deschamps, home of his former club, and he was the one who made the difference. Lassine Sinayoko played 89 minutes, put just one shot on target, and that one shot was enough for Paris FC.

The first half produced mostly whistles. A row between Lees-Melou and Archer earned both men a yellow card in the 15th minute. A minute later, Ivorian Sinaly Diomandé, tasked with marking Sinayoko, was booked in turn for a foul. Auxerre finished the night with 24 fouls, Paris FC with 14.

The only real moment of danger in the opening period came from AJA. Romain Faivre made the difference down his flank and Cameron Archer finished at the far post, but VAR chalked off the goal in the 39th minute for a handball by Fredrik Oppegård at the start of the move. Earlier, a header from Ghana's Marvin Senaya from a free kick had gone over the bar. The Parisians, for their part, had shown next to nothing going forward by the time they went in at the break at 0-0.

The second half changed the face of PFC, and above all that of Pablo Pagis. His cross-shot forced Paul Nardi into action, then his free kick, deflected by Axel Tuanzebe, ended up hitting the Auxerre post. In the 63rd minute, the attacking midfielder swung at a pivoting shot that was heading wide. Sinayoko stuck out a leg, the ball changed course and Nardi was left wrong-footed.

Auxerre then pushed forward. On their best chance, Archer found himself one-on-one with Kevin Trapp and the German goalkeeper shut the door. William Still, the AJA coach, was booked in the 80th minute for dissent, then Kévin Danois picked up a yellow in the 88th. The score did not change again.

Twice as much possession, almost as much danger

Paris FC had 66% of the ball and played 723 passes, against 392 for Auxerre. That dominance created little: 10 shots to 7, 3 on target to 2, and almost identical expected goals, 0.95 against 0.84. In other words, the two teams produced roughly the same amount of danger, and the difference came down to a deflection. Both goalkeepers had only two saves each to make.

The battle was also fought in the tackles. Auxerre's 24 fouls, against 14, and the three Burgundians booked point to a choppy match, often interrupted. In the Paris midfield, Maxime Lopez (111 passes), Diego Coppola (110) and Pierre Lees-Melou (104) kept the play ticking over, without finding an opening before the hour mark.

A miscued shot that became an assist

The Paris goal came from a long spell of possession ending in an off-target shot from Pagis. Standing in its path, Sinayoko steered the ball with the tip of his boot and wrong-footed Nardi. Pagis is credited with the assist. The Malian did not celebrate, out of respect for his former club.

Paris FC win without shining, Auxerre lose without disgrace

SNA verdict: Liam Rosenior's Paris FC did not deliver their best match, but they managed what top-of-the-table sides do, winning on a night without flair. The turning point came in two sequences: an Auxerre goal wiped out by VAR before the break, then a deflected ball that fell the right way. Pagis, called up the day before to the France squad for the first time in his career, was the player who woke his side up after the break.

For Auxerre, the night leaves more regrets than punishment. After the 5-1 defeat at Strasbourg, the defence held for an hour, with Tuanzebe and Diomandé solid at the centre. But Still's team had two shots on target in 90 minutes and could not exploit the only moment when Paris FC wobbled. AJA have now lost two in a row.

Still changes his defence, Rosenior locks it down

Just after the goal, Still replaced Telli Siwe with Clément Akpa in the 64th minute, then Senaya with Lamine Sy in the 65th. Danois and Rémy Labeau Lascary came on in the 74th for Ahamada and Namaso; Danois, incidentally, supplied a key pass in 16 minutes. Rayan Mandengue took over from Oppegård in the 85th. On the Paris side, Luca Koleosho replaced Moses Simon in the 66th minute, Patrick Zabi took Ilan Kebbal's place in the 73rd, then Omar Sissoko and Moustapha Mbow replaced Sinayoko and Pagis in the 90th to see out the match.

Thirteen Africans on the pitch, a Malian at the top

Mali's Sinayoko defined the night: one goal, two shots with one on target, a key pass and an SNA rating of 8, despite winning three of eleven duels against a rugged defence. His compatriot Hamari Traoré played the whole match in Paris FC's back three, with 90 passes, a key pass and an interception (SNA rating: 7). Algeria's Kebbal delivered two key passes in 73 minutes (7). Nigeria's Simon, deployed on the left flank, completed two of five dribbles but won only four of thirteen duels before going off in the 66th minute (6.5). Ivorian Patrick Zabi, who replaced Kebbal in the 73rd, won two of four duels and completed his only dribble in 17 minutes. Senegal's Mbow played just one minute, coming on for Pagis.

At Auxerre, DR Congo defender Tuanzebe played 90 minutes, completed 60 passes and kept Pagis's free kick out by getting it to hit his own post (7). Ivorian Diomandé won four of seven duels, made two interceptions and picked up a yellow (6.5). Ghana's Senaya was AJA's most combative player, with seven tackles and ten duels won out of fifteen in 65 minutes (7). Cameroon's Namaso had no shots in 74 minutes, winning six of twelve duels (6). Coming on for Siwe, Ivorian Akpa put in a tidy 26 minutes, with 25 passes (6.5), while Senegal's Sy, who replaced Senaya, lost both his duels in 25 minutes (6). Young Cameroonian Mandengue had five minutes late in the match.

Paris FC on the podium, Auxerre 14th

With 20 points, Paris FC are 2nd in Ligue 1 after ten matchdays, three points behind Paris Saint-Germain, who beat Troyes the same evening. Auxerre remain 14th with 10 points and a goal difference of -11. Ligue 1 now breaks for the international window.

SNA man of the match: Lassine Sinayoko

One goal, two shots, a key pass and an interception in 89 minutes, against the club he left this summer. Starved of the ball for long spells and closely marked by Diomandé, the Mali international showed the instinct everyone else lacked. A ninth goal in ten matchdays, and still sole leader of the Ligue 1 scoring charts. SNA rating: 8.