PSG 1, Monaco 1
N.Eymar wins and earns a penalty as Paris Saint-Germain drew 1-1 at home to Monaco to stay top of the French league yesterday [Macau time].
Neymar caught Lionel Messi’s pass on the left and cut inside central defender Guillermo Maripan.
The referee dismissed PSG’s penalty request but awarded the kick after a video review. Neymar used his usual staggered run-up to confuse goalkeeper Alexander his Nouvel before casually guiding the ball inside the left post. This was Neymar’s sixth goal in the league and his eighth in his five appearances overall.
PSG are on 10 points, ahead of rivals Marseille and northern Lens on goal difference.
Monaco got lucky at times, but shut down PSG early on, leaving no space for their famous attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe to take the lead on the 20th.
After recent acquisition Mohamed Kamara tackled Messi near the halfway line, Russian midfielder Aleksandr Golovin sent a pass into the path of German striker Kevin Voland.
PSG’s Strikeforce had scored 17 league goals in their last three games under new manager Christophe Galtier, but it was not until Mbappe struck in the 37th minute.
“They closed out well,” said PSG captain Marquinhos. “They stopped us from taking the ball out from behind.”
PSG then hit the post twice in stoppage time in the first half, when Messi’s curler from 20 meters clipped the left upright and bounced off Mbappe.
Marquinhos conceded an awkward corner just after the start of the second half, and minutes later Monaco striker Wissam Ben Yedder came close with a lob for 12th-placed Monaco after goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma swerved off the line. .
Nouvel made a great stop to hold off Neymar in the 59th inning, but was hit well on his penalty.
Meanwhile, Igor Tudor’s new Marseilles are looking good, with Alexis Sanchez scoring twice in a 3-0 win over southern rivals Nice.
Nice have signed some established Premier League players such as goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, midfielder Aaron Ramsay and forward Nicolas Pepe, but are still chasing a win and sit only 18th.
Marseille have made a strong start under Tudor, who are known as punitive players and whose appointment was questioned by fans, especially when they took veteran playmaker Dimitri Payet out of the first three games. Chopped.
But Tudor has won fans with its fierce football high-octane brand. He also said he will offer his Payet game, 35. This time he started the play right behind Sanchez. It was signed by Italian champions Inter Milan in a big way.
The Chilean forward scored his first goal in the 10th minute, and after former Arsenal full-back Nuno Tavares scored three goals in four games this season, Tavares paired with Peyet before Sanchez doubled in the 42nd minute. I set an eye goal. Jerome Pugmire, Paris, MDT/AP
