Psg - Metz: PSG climbs to the top with 3-0 win as Benoît Tavenot pinpoints defensive failings
The visit between the two clubs ended in a 3-0 victory for Paris, a result that leaves the capital side leading the table and pushes Metz deeper into the relegation fight. The match, and the conversations afterwards, centered on an early goal and persistent defensive problems that Metz’s coach said have cost the team repeatedly.
Benoît Tavenot on the early blow: Désiré Doué’s strike in the 3rd minute
Benoît Tavenot said Metz had planned to win five or six loose balls in PSG’s defensive third and launch quick counters, but the plan unraveled almost immediately when Désiré Doué opened the scoring in the 3rd minute. That early goal, Tavenot said, “hurt” the team and forced Metz out of its intended structure very early, exposing shortcomings that the coach described as avoidable. He emphasized that when players recover possession they must show “the minimum of personality, ” a standard he felt was not met in Paris.
Psg - Metz: Luis Enrique on Zaïre-Emery, Dro Fernandez and team form
Paris’s coach highlighted the progression of Warren Zaïre-Emery, calling him an “incredible player” capable of playing in multiple positions and praising his recent performances as dominant in the match. He also commented on Dro Fernandez, describing him as very technical but currently light on physical impact and noting the need to integrate youngsters gradually—Zaïre-Emery is still a second-year youth player (U19). The coach also noted that Achraf Hakimi was in good form in the contest and said the club will assess Ousmane Dembélé the following day after a knock, which he described as not a complicated injury but something that requires monitoring.
Metz’s away record: 34 goals conceded in 12 matches and a 2. 83 average
Tavenot pointed to a stark statistic: Metz has conceded 34 goals in 12 away matches, the highest total across the five major European championships and an average of 2. 83 goals conceded per away game. He said this was not a fluke and traced it to “big lacks in defensive animation. ” The coach recalled earlier fixtures that underline the pattern: a 2-5 home defeat to Lyon in his first match, a match at Angers where Metz suffered a red card at the start and lost 0-1, and a 1-3 loss at Auxerre in which Metz conceded as early as the 4th minute. Those episodes framed his concern that poor starts and avoidable errors are recurring and damaging.
Standings and survival: Metz last with 13 points in 23 matchdays
Tavenot stated plainly that Metz sits bottom of the table with 13 points after 23 matchdays, but he maintained that the playoff spot for survival remains reachable. He warned that the window is narrowing: with fewer matches left, there are fewer points to collect. Despite the results, he defended his players’ work rate—saying he has “nothing to reproach” regarding their investment—but criticized a lack of character and composure at key moments.
Cause and effect: early mistakes, tactical intentions and the widening gap
The sequence was clear: Metz intended to press and grab turnovers to spring counters, but an early concession by Désiré Doué disrupted that strategy and allowed PSG to exploit space and mistakes. Tavenot attributed the three goals conceded in Paris to avoidable errors and signaled that changes — including an attempted tweak to the team warm-up — failed to prevent another poor start. Luis Enrique, for his part, acknowledged Metz’s ambition and pressing approach in that match and described their performance as worthy of positive judgment, even if it ended in defeat.
What makes this notable is the alignment of tactical intent with recurring execution failures: Metz’s plan to pressure transitions has produced openings that opponents have repeatedly converted, while Paris’s young core, led by Zaïre-Emery, has taken advantage. The immediate consequence is a 3-0 loss that consolidates PSG’s place at the top and deepens Metz’s crisis, leaving both coaches to balance praise and criticism as the season moves toward its closing phase.
