STRASBOURG SHOCK FADES AS PSG STAGE INCREDIBLE FIGHTBACK

PSG fought back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with Strasbourg in a Ligue 1 thriller. Diego Panichelli scored twice for the visitors, but Senny Mayulu's late equaliser saved the French champions after a Goncalo Ramos penalty.

Strasbourg Shock Fades as PSG Stage Incredible Fightback
Creator: Franco Arland | Credit: Getty Images

At Parc des Princes, Bradley Barcola got PSG off to a quick start, putting the French and European champs ahead. But Strasbourg didn’t back down. They hit back hard, grabbing a 3-1 lead thanks to goals from Diego Moreira and Joaquin Panichelli.

PSG found a way back. Gonçalo Ramos nailed a penalty, then Senny Mayulu levelled things up, stopping PSG from losing for the second time in eight league games this season.

Luis Enrique, the PSG boss, said he had to rest some key players who just come back from international duty. He didn’t hide his respect for Strasbourg, calling them “without a doubt one of the top teams in Ligue 1”, and knew this game would be a battle.

Some big names started on the bench. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia only came on in the second half. Achraf Hakimi and Vitinha didn’t play at all.

Strasbourg almost made history. They haven’t won in 35 top-flight visits to PSG, and they came close, but PSG held onto their spot at the top of the league—just one point ahead of Strasbourg now.

But the table could shift again soon. Marseille and Lyon both have a chance to jump ahead if they win on Saturday. Lyon heads to Nice, and Marseille hosts Le Havre.

Luis Enrique made it clear: “We want to win every competition, but it’s going to be tough.” He praised the players who stepped up, but admitted they need a few key guys back.

PSG is still missing Ousmane Dembélé, who’s recovering from a hamstring injury he picked up playing for France last month.

Even with a lineup full of backups, PSG got Desire Doue back after six weeks out. Captain Marquinhos, Fabian Ruiz, and Joao Neves were all still missing.

Doue made a big impact. He earned the penalty for Ramos’s goal and set up Barcola’s opener. In the sixth minute, Barcola and Doue played a one-two, then Doue burst through and scored his fourth of the year.

Strasbourg responded. In the 26th minute, Panichelli smashed in a header from a cross by Guela Doue, Desire’s older brother, tying things up. Right before halftime, Valentin Barco floated a ball over PSG’s defence, and Diego Moreira slotted it past Lucas Chevalier to put Strasbourg ahead.

After the break, Moreira set up Panichelli, who finished his seventh goal in just eight Ligue 1 matches, making it 3-1.

But PSG wasn’t done. After Strasbourg keeper Mike Penders brought down Doue, Ramos coolly converted the penalty. Mayulu then tied it up with 11 minutes left, following up after Lee Kang-in’s shot bounced off the post—his first effort was saved, but he headed in the rebound.

Now, PSG turns their attention back to Europe after already beating Atalanta and Barcelona this season. Next up is Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.

Strasbourg, meanwhile, gears up for a UEFA Conference League match against Poland’s Jagiellonia Bialystok.

After the game, Strasbourg’s manager, Liam Rosenior, said, “I just wanted us to walk off proud of ourselves, and we did that. We faced the world’s best team. They’re a credit to the league, and so was this match.”

Elsewhere in Ligue 1 this weekend, Monaco heads to Angers for their first match under new coach Sebastien Pocognoli from Belgium.

INSIDE BRADLEY BARCOLA’S DECISION TO LEAVE PSG FOR A STARRING ROLE AT ANFIELD

Bradley Barcola is keen to trade PSG for Liverpool to avoid playing "second fiddle" under Luis Enrique next season in France.

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Barcola Is Prioritising Liverpool Over Staying In Paris Next Season - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola looks pretty interested in a summer move to Liverpool, and PSG won’t stand in his way if he decides he wants out. Barcola’s not so keen on playing second fiddle to Luis Enrique anymore; he wants a bigger role.

There's been chatter about his future since last summer, and now the Premier League is catching his eye. Liverpool sounds like the most tempting option if you believe the talk coming out of France.

Barcola’s only 23, but he’s already piled up 12 goals and seven assists from 46 games. Still, at PSG, he sits behind big names like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele. Last time, he stayed put to chase a World Cup spot and another shot at the Champions League. Now, Liverpool seems more appealing; maybe the timing finally feels right for him.

Liverpool’s been weighing up different wide players for the summer. Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig and Barcola are both under consideration, according to The Times.

Arne Slot has made it clear Liverpool’s got big plans for the summer. He wants to turn things around after what’s honestly been a tough season. Slot’s first year didn’t deliver a title, and with two games left, they haven’t locked down a Champions League spot.

“Yeah, I do think I’ll turn things around," Slot said. “Not this season, though. Fans have their opinions, and they won’t change right now. But if we have the summer we’re planning, I’m convinced we’ll be a different team next year: better results, better football. Sometimes you know what needs fixing, but it’s not always easy to get what you want. For us, it’s pretty clear what we’ve been lacking, and we’re working on it.”

Liverpool splashed out last summer, picking up Hugo Ekitike, Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Milos Kerkez. But Jamie Carragher thinks they can’t repeat that kind of spending.

“They won’t be able to do what they did last summer; they just don’t have that revenue," he said. "They don’t need six or seven new faces; that’s too much change. Three solid signings would do: a right winger to replace Mo Salah, a right-back, and a central midfielder. Then, the guys they bought last year, Ekitike, Isak, and Wirtz, will start looking like even better players.”

PSG DRAW 2-2 WITH LORIENT; LIGUE 1 TITLE RACE MOVES TO LENS

PSG remain six points clear despite a 2-2 draw with Lorient, as eyes turn to their Champions League clash against Bayern Munich.

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PSG can officially clinch Ligue 1 next weekend versus Lens - Courtesy Picture

Ibrahim Mbaye got PSG off to a flying start with an early goal at Parc des Princes, but Lorient answered quickly through Pablo Pagis. Warren Zaire-Emery put PSG back in front right after coming on as a substitute; his impact was immediate.

Things turned sour for PSG, though. Pierre Mounguengue, making his debut as a teenager, made a costly mistake that let Aiyegun Tosin race clear and score Lorient’s second. PSG kept pushing for a winner but just couldn’t find one.

Still, their lead at the top sits at six points with only three matches to go, since Lens could only draw 1-1 away at Nice.

Lens will host PSG on May 13, but if Luis Enrique’s squad outperforms their nearest rivals next weekend, they’ll wrap up the title early.

PSG’s real focus, though, is on defending their European crown. They play Bayern in Munich on Wednesday, holding a narrow 5-4 advantage from the first leg.

“It’s tough for the players to get motivated after a Champions League semi-final,” said Luis Enrique, who rotated heavily, keeping just Willian Pacho and Desire Doue from the midweek lineup.

Big names like Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia stayed on the bench. Vitinha didn’t even suit up.

Nineteen-year-old Renato Marin started in goal for only the second time, and Mounguengue got his debut up front in the second half.

Here’s how it all played out: PSG took the lead in the sixth minute when Lorient’s keeper, Yvon Mvogo, bungled a clearance off Doue’s cross and the ball bounced in off Mbaye. Pagis replied with Lorient’s first equaliser, but after the break, Zaire-Emery, on for Fabian Ruiz, controlled a pass from Doue with his first touch and fired it in (thanks to a slight deflection).

But it all unravelled with Mounguengue’s poor pass. Tosin seized the chance, slotted home, and PSG dropped points at home for the third time in five league fixtures. Senny Mayulu almost stole it back late on, but his shot hit the post.

Lens let their chance slip too. They went up against Nice thanks to Allan Saint-Maximin, but dropped to ten men when Saud Abdulhamid hacked down Sofiane Diop as he closed in on goal. From the resulting free-kick, Ali Abdi pounced and made it 1-1.

Over in Marseille, the misery continued. They slumped to a 3-0 loss at Nantes, a real blow to their Champions League hopes. Ignatius Ganago, Remy Cabella, and Matthis Abline all scored in nine minutes, giving Nantes their first win in nine matches. Nantes, eight-time champions, are still in the automatic drop zone but now trail Auxerre by just two points with a couple of games left.

Marseille, on the other hand, have lost four of their last six and slipped down to seventh, trailing Monaco, who won 2-1 at Metz. With only two games left, OM are four points off a Champions League place and could even miss out on European football entirely.

Coach Habib Beye summed it up: “We got what we deserved", and insisted he wouldn’t walk away. “You don’t give up on a challenge like this. I’ll never quit.”

Monaco kept their own European push alive, coming back at Metz. American forward Folarin Balogun bagged his ninth goal in ten games to tie it up before Ansu Fati grabbed a winner in injury time. It was a bitter pill for Metz, who have now gone 20 league games without a win, which sealed their relegation.

On a much brighter note, Troyes, part of the City Football Group, is back in Ligue 1 after three years away. They made it official last weekend and sealed the Ligue 2 title with a game to spare on Saturday. Le Mans is in pole position for the second automatic promotion spot.

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