PSG’s Ligue 1 Journey Slows Down with 2 Losses
Paris St Germain’s hopes of winning the Ligue 1 title took a further knock on Sunday as they suffered a 1-0 home defeat by Olympique Lyonnais. Bradley Barcola scored the only goal of the match, leaving PSG with 66 points from 29 games.
This loss puts them six points ahead of second-placed RC Lens and third-placed Olympique de Marseille, who are both on 60 points. The defeat follows PSG’s elimination from the French Cup and the Champions League, leaving them with only the league title to fight for.
PSG coach Christophe Galtier was disappointed with the team’s performance. “There is disappointment and anger because we concede too many opportunities. We lacked character and pride. We don’t follow the plan, we’re not giving everything. The title is far from being in the pocket,” he said. PSG defender Danilo Pereira echoed Galtier’s comments, saying, “We don’t follow the plan, we’re not giving everything. The title is far from being in the pocket.”
PSG has been facing a tough time as they have been missing Neymar due to his ankle surgery. Overall, their defense has been hit by injuries. To add to their woes, during the game, they had to call upon 17-year-old central defender El Chadaille Bitshiabu, who made mistakes and gave away the ball too often.
What Happened in the Match
Despite starting 10 minutes late due to transportation issues, Lyon was unfazed by the delay. They were awarded a penalty when Gianluigi Donnarumma made contact with Alexandre Lacazette in the area after a sharp counterattack from thevisitors. However, Lacazette missed the penalty, hitting the Italian keeper’s right-hand post for the French striker’s first miss from the spot this season.
PSG almost scored in the first half through Renato Sanches, but Lyon denied them a penalty despite Lovren’s handball just before halftime. Lyon took the lead in the 56th minute with Barcola’s soft crossed shot after connecting with Kumbedi’s cross.
Paris Saint-Germain was unable to respond and did not succeed in producing a shot on target before Hugo Ekitike’s attempt was swiftly blocked by Anthony Lopes, and Kylian Mbappe was largely ineffective. Mbappe almost scored in extra time, but his shot was saved by Lopes after getting deflected.
Lyon held firm until the final whistle and will head into Wednesday’s French Cup semi-final full of confidence. PSG, who were handed their fifth league defeat of the season, will need to regain their composure with a top-of-the-table clash against Lens in two weeks.
After the Match
Despite their win, Monaco coach Philippe Clement admitted that they showed two faces in the game. They were good for the first 25 minutes, but their aggressiveness fell away, and Strasbourg came back and scored twice. However, three goals inside 11 minutes in the second half helped Monaco win the game.
Meanwhile, PSG still has a healthy lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table, but they will need to improve their performances if they want to win the title.
PSG will face Nice next before a crucial home clash with second-placed Lens. Monaco, on the other hand, kept up their push for a Champions League spot with a 4-3 win over Strasbourg. They are just three points behind third-placed Marseille.
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