Paris Saint-Germain slipped behind Montpellier Herault in the French title race on goal-difference after drawing 1-1 at home to Girondins de Bordeaux on Sunday, needing a late equalizer from striker Guillaume Hoarau to avoid a second straight defeat.
PSG crashed out of the French Cup quarter-finals after a 3-1 home loss to Olympique Lyonnais in midweek and another defeat looked on the cards after striker Cheick Diabate gave Bordeaux the lead in the 77th minute.
Hoarau equalized four minutes after Diabate’s goal when he controlled a neat back-heel from substitute Mathieu Bodmer just inside the penalty area, span and hit a low shot that goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso got a hand on, but could not keep out.
Photo: EPA
“It wasn’t a good performance, but we’re not here to prove anything to anyone, we’re here to win the title,” PSG sporting director Leonardo said on Canal Plus television.
However, PSG’s players went off to jeers at halftime at Parc des Princes, just like they did against Lyon four days ago.
“I’m not happy because we wanted to win. We took too long to get into the game,” PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti said.
PSG showed little invention and regularly gave the ball away as Bordeaux played the better soccer for most of the match, but despite Bordeaux closing PSG down all over the field, PSG twice went close to scoring in the first half.
Nene almost got his foot to the ball ahead of Mickael Ciani from Jallet’s cross in the 28th minute and centerhalf Alex should have done better with a free header when he raced onto Nene’s free-kick from the left a minute later.
Bordeaux hit back when leftback Benoit Tremoulinas slipped in midfielder Jaroslav Plasil, whose low shot was saved by goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu.
Ancelotti replaced Menez at halftime with Blaise Matuidi to tighten up the midfield and reduce the space for Tremoulinas.
PSG started playing with more urgency and midfielder Mohamed Sissoko forced Carrasso into a fine save with a low drive.
Plasil then curled a lovely shot onto the crossbar with 20 minutes to go, before Nicolas Maurice-Belay rounded Sirigu and offered Diabate an easy tap-in for the opening goal.
Earlier on Sunday, Toulouse climbed into fourth place above Lyon after beating last-placed AJ Auxerre 1-0 through winger Franck Tabanou’s first-half goal.
Toulouse have won five and drawn one of their past six league games, conceding only one goal, to keep the pressure on third-placed Lille in the race for the final Champions League slot.
Toulouse are one point ahead of Lyon and three behind Lille, who they play at the weekend.
“We don’t set ourselves any limits,” Tabanou said. “We know our potential and now we have a game against one of our main rivals.”
Auxerre, meanwhile, are slipping closer to the second division and they are five points away from safety with only nine matches remaining.
“We’re going have to start winning now. That’s for sure,” said coach Jean-Guy Wallemme, who took charge of Auxerre for the first time since Laurent Fournier was sacked. “It’s a bit of a crazy challenge, but that’s why I came. Some people say we have 80 percent chance of going down, but I would rather focus on the 20 and stay positive.”
Dijon FCO moved up to 13th place after beating Stade Malherbe Caen 2-0 with goals from Koro Kone and Younousse Sanhkare.
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