Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday squandered the chance to clinch the Ligue 1 title in record-equaling time after a 2-2 draw at home to RC Strasbourg Alsace, with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s incredible miss from on the goal-line costing his team dear.
PSG were handed the opportunity to win their sixth French crown in seven seasons after second-placed Lille OSC drew 1-1 at Stade de Reims earlier.
That left Thomas Tuchel’s side knowing that three points at the Parc des Princes would see them retain the title and wrap it up with eight games to spare, matching the speed with which Laurent Blanc’s team became champions in 2015-2016.
Photo: AFP
Choupo-Moting gave them an early lead with his third Ligue 1 goal, but later in the first half he somehow succeeded in turning a net-bound Christopher Nkunku shot onto the post while standing on the goal-line.
“I wondered if I was offside and it all happened very fast. I touched the ball, it hit the post and, well, it’s a real shame because the ball was going in,” Choupo-Moting told Canal+. “Sorry about that.”
Fresh from winning the Coupe de la Ligue the previous weekend, Strasbourg had equalized prior to Choupo-Moting’s howler when Nuno da Costa turned in a Lionel Carole cross and they found themselves 2-1 up in the 38th minute when Anthony Goncalves lashed home.
Kylian Mbappe came off the bench on the hour mark, but it was another PSG substitute who made it 2-2 with eight minutes remaining.
Julian Draxler sent in a corner from the right and Germany defender Thilo Kehrer headed home.
However, having drawn at home to PSG in December last year, mid-table Strasbourg then held on for a point.
Cameroon forward Choupo-Moting started with Mbappe rested and Neymar, Angel di Maria and Edinson Cavani all unfit — the latter watched from the stands sporting a beret.
“He is an excellent backup player to have, but if you start a lot for PSG you need to have confidence and he lacks that,” Tuchel said of Choupo-Moting. “He was very unfortunate because he started very well and then he stopped that ball on the line which would have made it 2-1 for us. I don’t know why he did that. In English you say it’s Murphy’s law.”
Still a huge 20 points clear at the summit and with a game in hand, PSG will now hope to secure the eighth league title in their history when they go to Lille at the weekend.
A point would be enough in that game, but PSG should have finished the job in Paris — Choupo-Moting’s miss was one of the worst you are ever likely to see, while Dani Alves hit the bar after halftime.
Earlier, Jose Fonte’s 56th-minute header had Lille on course to take all three points away to Reims, but substitute Remi Oudin’s 78th-minute leveler — initially ruled out for offside, but then given after a video assistant referee review — denied the visitors.
Lille are more concerned with holding off the teams below them as they look to secure second place, which provides automatic qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
The draw at the Stade Auguste-Delaune moved them five points clear of third-placed Olympique Lyonnais, who slumped to a shock 3-1 loss to Dijon FCO on Saturday.
“If we had won I think we would have sealed our place on the podium,” Lille coach Christophe Galtier said. “We are 11 points ahead of [AS] Saint-Etienne, but there are still 21 points to play for.”
Also on Sunday, Toulouse edged Nantes 1-0 and OGC Nice defeated Montpellier HSC 1-0.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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