AS Monaco ruined Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 title celebrations as a clinical second-half performance gave the principality side a 2-0 victory at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.
PSG wrapped up a fourth consecutive league title in record time with eight matches to spare by thrashing ESTAC Troyes 9-0 the previous weekend, but they were uncharacteristically flat in the capital.
After a drab opening 45 minutes, it was the visitors who turned on the style, as Vagner Love’s fourth goal for the club gave them a deserved 65th-minute lead.
Photo: Reuters
A David Luiz error gave Monaco a penalty that was coolly converted by Fabinho just three minutes later, as PSG slumped to just a second league defeat of the season and a first at home since May 2014.
The victory is a timely one for Leonardo Jardim’s Monaco in the race for the top three and the UEFA Champions League, as they stay second in the table and now have the cushion of a six-point gap back to fourth-placed Olympique Lyonnais.
“Paris are a big team, one of the top four in Europe, and they could win the Champions League,” Jardim said. “My players played a great game.”
PSG manager Laurent Blanc selected an attacking lineup, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani, Lucas Moura and Angel di Maria all starting on a night when the home fans expected to party, but they started slowly and the hosts’ frustration at their lackluster opening half an hour was clear, as Cavani thumped the turf in anger after ballooning an acrobatic effort well wide.
PSG improved in the minutes before halftime, with Cavani heading a Marquinhos cross wastefully off target when totally unmarked.
The visitors grew in confidence in the second half and home goalkeeper Kevin Trapp had to beat clear Fabinho’s drive after a mistake by Luiz, before the German also had to save well at his near post from Thomas Lemar.
PSG were pleasing the crowd with plenty of neat tricks and flicks, but rarely looked like breaking their opponents down.
While Blanc’s men appeared to be resting on their record-breaking efforts from the previous weekend, there was a hunger and desire about Champions League-chasing Monaco that brought the opening goal.
Some quick passing released Lemar, who crossed low to the back post to give Love a simple tap-in with Trapp out of the picture.
Less than two minutes later and the principality side were gifted the chance to double their lead from the penalty spot. Another horror-show in the PSG defense culminated in Luiz pulling back Fabinho and the Brazilian fullback picked himself up to calmly chip his spot-kick down the middle.
Unsurprisingly, PSG pushed forward in numbers and, after Danijel Subasic had brilliantly clawed away a Cavani header, Ibrahimovic somehow contrived to head the ball over the top with the goal at his mercy.
It was not Ibrahimovic’s day, the league’s top scorer was left red-faced again after volleying over an unguarded net from point-blank range.
Monaco held on in the face of heavy pressure to record a first win against PSG in more than six years.
Blanc said that his side’s missed chances were the key and played down suggestions that his men had eased off after winning the title.
“I do not feel as though there was a party tonight, we will celebrate the title when we receive the trophy on the final day,” Blanc said.
Hatem Ben Arfa’s latest breathtaking strike set OGC Nice up for a 3-0 win over struggling Gazelec Ajaccio that kept them in contention for a surprise top-three finish.
Ben Arfa collected possession wide on the right and skipped away from two challenges as he cut into the area, before curling a shot beyond goalkeeper Clement Maury to set Nice on their way in the 14th minute at the Allianz Riviera.
He then turned provider for Alassane Plea to make it 2-0 and Ivorian midfielder Jean-Michael Seri wrapped up the victory late on.
Girondins de Bordeaux were held to a 1-1 draw at home by SC Bastia in their first match since Willy Sagnol was sacked and replaced by club legend Ulrich Rame.
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