PARIS – Neymar was sent off late on as a limping Jonathan David scored the only goal to give Lille a 1-0 win over Paris Saint-
Germain in their Ligue 1 title showdown on Saturday, a result that moves them
three points clear at the top.
Canadian striker David was struggling with an ankle injury when he fired
home in the 20th minute.
He was forced off soon after and emerged on crutches to watch the second
half with heavy strapping where he had been caught by Idrissa Gana Gueye.
Without him Lille held on to beat PSG in a league game in the capital for
the first time in a quarter of a century, with a frustrating afternoon for
the hosts summed up when Neymar was dismissed.
The Brazilian and Lille defender Tiago Djalo were both shown second yellow
cards following a shoving match.
It is Neymar’s second sending-off this season and his fourth since moving
to France in a world-record deal in 2017.
The result sees Lille take a big step towards a first Ligue 1 title in a
decade, just before the Qatari takeover of PSG which changed the face of
French football.
It would be a remarkable achievement for the northerners to pip the
Parisians, who have won seven of the last eight league crowns and face Bayern
Munich away in their Champions League quarter-final first leg in midweek.
“We are top and we are in the fight, but so are Lyon, Paris and Monaco.
There is not much in it,” admitted Lille coach Christophe Galtier.
PSG have now suffered three straight home league losses for the first time
since 2007, and they trail Lille by three points with seven games left.
Monaco are another point behind in third after beating Metz 4-0, but Lyon
lost ground, dropping to five points off the lead in fourth with a 1-1 draw
at fifth-placed Lens.
Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG had been fancied to ease to another league title
after winning 4-2 in Lyon before the recent international break, but
Saturday’s result raises doubts about their credentials.
They have taken just one point from four games against Lille and Monaco
this season. Lyon also beat them in Paris.
“I am disappointed with the result and at losing three important points. I
am not worried but we will need to keep fighting to the end,” said
Pochettino.
“We are an inconsistent side for lots of reasons but we are working to fix
that.”
– Monaco win, Lyon held –
PSG may still fancy their chances of avenging last season’s Champions
League final defeat when they face a Bayern side missing the injured Robert
Lewandowski.
However they will need to perform far better than they did here against a
well organised Lille side who survived an early scare before scoring.
Mike Maignan turned Kylian Mbappe’s shot around the post not long before
the goal arrived for the visitors, Jonathan Ikone picking out David whose
shot from 12 yards deflected in off Thilo Kehrer for his 10th of the season.
The 21-year-old striker was replaced by Timothy Weah before half-time, and
Lille held on, with Neymar having one shot saved by Maignan in the second
half and then heading wide from a Marquinhos cross.
Lille might have scored a second as Burak Yilmaz was denied by Keylor Navas
after a counter-attack.
Monaco scored all their goals in the second half against a Metz side who
finished with 10 men.
Cesc Fabregas scored a penalty and Kevin Volland netted his 14th of the
season before France striker Wissam Ben Yedder came off the bench to crash in
the third.
Ben Yedder scored again from the spot late on, taking his tally for the
season to 15 goals, after Metz captain John Boye was shown a second yellow
card for fouling Gelson Martins.
“If we keep going in this direction maybe there is something possible for
us,” Monaco coach Niko Kovac told Canal Plus of his side’s title chances.
Lyon needed a late Lucas Paqueta equaliser to draw in Lens after Jonathan
Clauss had put the hosts ahead. Islam Slimani was sent off at the end for
Lyon.BSS/AFP
