LAST UPDATE | 30 Apr 2023
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN’S LEAD at the top of Ligue 1 was cut to five points on Sunday after Achraf Hakimi was sent off in their 3-1 home defeat by Lorient and nearest rivals Marseille beat Auxerre 2-1.
Mid-table Lorient were already ahead through Enzo Le Fee’s early goal at the Parc des Princes before Hakimi was dismissed for a second yellow card inside the opening 20 minutes.
Kylian Mbappe equalised for the home side in opportunistic fashion, pouncing to score after Lorient goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo had thrown the ball to the ground wrongly thinking the referee had blown for a free-kick.
Yet Lorient deservedly retook the lead before half-time when Darlin Yongwa converted from close range, and they made sure of the win late on when Bamba Dieng ran through unchallenged to score at the second attempt after Gianluigi Donnarumma had stopped his shot.
The final whistle was met with loud jeers from the home support in a stadium where one end was closed as a punishment after fans let off flares during a recent defeat by Lyon.
It was PSG’s sixth Ligue 1 loss of 2023 and it allowed Marseille to close in, casting new doubt on the capital club’s quest to win a French record 11th league title.
Marseille came from behind to win at home to Auxerre, with Cengiz Under’s 75th-minute strike cancelling out Birama Toure’s opener for their relegation-threatened opponents.
Alexis Sanchez then clinched all three points for Marseille on 77 minutes with his 13th league goal this season.
Third-placed Lens will move to within six points of PSG if they beat Toulouse away in midweek.
“Our second half of the season has been very, very average. Too many players seem distracted,” said PSG coach Christophe Galtier, who called Hakimi’s second yellow card “really stupid”.
“Everyone in the dressing room is disappointed, and what I expect now is a reaction from everyone, from the players, the staff and everyone who works for the club,” Luis Campos, who is effectively PSG’s sporting director in his role of football advisor, told broadcaster Canal Plus.
There must be a reaction and we have to win the title. I am sure we will do it but we need to make sure we don’t lose our heads. We need to be conscious of the fact we can do better and must do better.”
PSG, who had Neymar watching in the stands as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury, had not lost a home league game while conceding three goals since October 2010.
That was the final season before the Qatari takeover that transformed the club.
PSG’s next four games are against Troyes, Ajaccio, Auxerre and Strasbourg, four clubs who are either in the relegation zone or fighting to avoid the drop.
Marseille and Lens also play each other next weekend, and it remains highly unlikely that the Parisians might fail to retain their league crown.
Monaco’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League were dealt a new blow in a comprehensive 4-0 home defeat against Montpellier.
Monaco remain fourth in the table, five points behind third-placed Lens.
Only the top three in Ligue 1 qualify for the Champions League with the team in fourth going into the Europa League alongside the winners of the French Cup.
Toulouse won the French Cup on Saturday with a crushing 5-1 win over holders Nantes in the final watched by over 78,000 at the Stade de France.
Rennes, who are sixth, boosted their hopes of qualifying for Europe by beating bottom side Angers 4-2 on Sunday with Belgium’s Jeremy Doku scoring twice.
That result officially condemned Angers to relegation as they are 18 points from safety with five games remaining.
Elsewhere, Bayern Munich moved top of the Bundesliga and ahead of Borussia Dortmund on Sunday as second-half goals from Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman gave the reigning champions a 2-0 home win over rock-bottom Hertha Berlin.
Bayern are now one point clear of Dortmund, who drew 1-1 at Bochum on Friday, and back on course for a record-extending 11th straight Bundesliga title with four matches remaining.
In Sunday’s late game, a double from Jonas Wind sent Wolfsburg past Mainz into seventh with a 3-0 win and lifted their hopes of European qualification.
Edin Terzic’s Dortmund were controversially held to a 1-1 draw at lowly Bochum on Friday.
Dortmund were denied a late penalty which the referee Sascha Stegemann and the German FA later admitted was an error.
Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke issued a statement on Sunday saying “threats and hostility would not be tolerated”, after German media reported Stegemann was under police protection.
In Spain, Atletico Madrid moved back within two points of second-placed Real Madrid in La Liga after surviving a Real Valladolid comeback in a 5-2 victory.
Goals from Nahuel Molina, Jose Maria Gimenez and Alvaro Morata had visitors Atletico 3-0 ahead inside 38 minutes.
Valladolid hit back through a Cyle Larin penalty and Sergio Escudero’s goal, but Atletico sealed victory thanks to Joaquin Fernandez’s late own goal and an injury-time strike from Memphis Depay.
Atletico have little to play for in La Liga, sitting 13 points behind leaders Barcelona and 13 clear of fifth-placed Villarreal.
But Diego Simeone’s men are finishing the season strongly and aiming to take second from Real.
They have won eight of their last nine league games, with the only blip a 1-0 loss at Barca.
Earlier on Sunday, Valencia’s bid to avoid slipping out of La Liga for the first time since 1987 suffered another blow with a 2-1 loss at fellow strugglers Cadiz.
Valencia are now only two points and one place above the drop zone, although Espanyol’s 1-0 win over Getafe prevented the six-time Spanish champions from falling into the bottom three.
Ruben Baraja’s side are two points clear of both 18th-placed Espanyol and second-bottom Getafe in the relegation dog-fight.
Cadiz moved above Valencia with their win and sit four points clear of danger.
The visitors were sunk by two goals either side of half-time from Gonzalo Escalante and Sergio Guardiola for Cadiz.
Samuel Lino pulled one back but Valencia failed to mount a comeback and now need a response against Villarreal in midweek.
Villarreal gave their slim hopes of qualifying for the Champions League a boost with a 3-1 victory over Celta Vigo to move within five points of fourth-placed Real Sociedad.
Betis were beaten 4-0 by Barcelona at the Camp Nou on Saturday as the Catalan giants maintained their 11-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of the table with six games to play.
Espanyol ended a dreadful run of seven defeats and one draw in eight games thanks to Joselu’s first-half penalty against Getafe.
The Spain striker has scored 14 La Liga goals this season, fewer than only Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema.
Updated at 10.10pm with late kick-offs.
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