Toulouse beat PSG to blight Mbappé's final home game

For this particular Paris Saint-Germain striker, it wasn't about the goals – because there have been masses – but the send-off on Sunday night.

Paris Saint-Germain's players were presented with the club's 12th Ligue 1 trophy following a 3-1 defeat at home to Toulouse. REUTERS - Benoit Tessier

Kylian Mbappé duly received boos from thousands of the PSG faithful when his name was announced ahead of the kick-off against Toulouse at the Parc des Princes.

Fortunately, for the last home match before the 25-year-old's departure, adulation aplenty resounded around the stands for the man who boasted a club record 255 goals in the seven years since he arrived from Monaco

Eight minutes into the clash, it was 256. And nothing but cheers.

PSG goalkeeper Arnau Tenas thrashed the ball forward, Mbappé brought it down, raced into the Toulouse penalty area, rounded the goalkeeper Guillaume Restes and slotted in.

Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappé scored his 28th Ligue 1 goal of the season to open the scoring in the match against Toulouse. REUTERS - Benoit Tessier

Wonderful theatre. The joy was short-lived as the linesman signalled off-side.

But technology intervened to overrule and Mbappé turned for the acclaim having notched up his 28th Ligue 1 goal of the season and sealed a sixth successive Ligue 1 'golden boot'.

Within five minutes, the visitors were level. Thijs Dallinga swept in past Tenau after being set up by Moussa Diarra.

Toulouse – well clear of the relegation tussle and purged of the angst of qualifying for next season's European competitions – played with purpose and poise against a PSG side shorn of the midfield metronome Vitinha and Ousmane Dembélé's leggy incisiveness in attack.

Lead

Mbappé came close to a second early in the second-half when his snapshot whistled just past Restes' lefthand post. Danilo Perreira's dinky flick almost trickled in. 

But it was Toulouse who took the lead with 20 minutes remaining. Yann Gboho cut into the PSG penalty area from the left and curled a  shot with his right foot around Tenas.

Frank Magri added a third for Toulouse in stoppage time to spoil Mbappé's send off.

The defeat slightly dampened the start of the festivities for the presentation of PSG's 12th Ligue 1 trophy.

But the 30-piece orchestra, fireworks and video montages of the 2023/2024 season's highlights quickly stoked up the atmosphere.

At the end of the 25-minute show to celebrate the 33rd piece of silverware since Qatar Sports Investments took control of the club in 2011, the Ligue 1 prize was added to the bulging trophy cabinet that had been set up underneath the Virage Auteuil – the stand housing the diehard supporters.

Absence

For all the glitter from the domestic cups, the gaping absence remains the Champions League crown.

In this year's competition, PSG fell in the semi-final to Borussia Dortmund who will next face Real Madrid – expected to be Mbappé's next club. 

In the race to join PSG in the group stages of next season's Champions League, Monaco secured the Ligue 1 runners-up slot with a 2-0 win at Montpellier and Lille moved into third place following a 2-1 victory at Nantes.

At the other end of the table, Lorient were relegated to Ligue 2 after a 3-1 defeat at Marseille.

Metz, who occupy the relegation play-off place, led at Strasbourg up until the 89th minute before letting in two late goals to slump to their 20th defeat of the season and a two-match tie against the third-placed team from Ligue 2.