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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.

COACHLESS AND CLINICAL: HOW RENNES SHOCKED THE WORLD TO DISMANTLE PSG’S LIGUE 1 LEAD

Rennes shock PSG with a 3-1 victory! Read how Mousa Al-Tamari and Breel Embolo ended Paris's win streak and opened the title race.

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Rennes Stun PSG 3-1 To Blow The Ligue 1 Title Race Wide Open

Four days after sacking coach Habib Beye, Rennes pulled off a shocker. They took down Paris Saint-Germain 3-1, snapping PSG’s seven-game winning streak in Ligue 1. Now, second-placed Lens has a real shot at jumping past PSG and grabbing the top spot if they beat Paris FC in the capital on Saturday.

PSG actually started strong. Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue both found some space early on, but nothing came of it.

After Beye got the boot on Monday, Rennes promoted his assistant, Sebastien Tambouret. Suddenly, the squad that had lost four matches in a row looked like a different team.

Mousa Al-Tamari, their Jordanian forward, opened the scoring in the 34th minute with a rocket into the bottom corner.

In the 69th minute, Esteban Lepaul headed in a second goal from a corner. Just two minutes later, Dembele pulled one back for PSG, finishing off a deflected cross.

Luis Enrique responded by swapping out Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for Bradley Barcola and Lee Kang-in, probably thinking ahead to PSG’s Champions League play-off at Monaco this week.

But Rennes weren’t done. Breel Embolo, coming off the bench, smashed in a third goal with nine minutes left. That sealed the win and pushed Rennes up to fifth place.

Dembele, who’s now scored seven times in his last ten games, didn’t sugarcoat things. “We need to win these kinds of matches. We need to play as a team, not as individuals,” he said. “We have to show more desire. If we just play for ourselves, we won’t win the titles we want.”

He also gave credit to Rennes, where he broke through as a young player. “Rennes played a really good match,” he admitted.

Luis Enrique picked Matvei Safonov over Lucas Chevalier in goal, but Safonov couldn’t see Al-Tamari’s opener. At the back, Willian Pacho didn’t put up a fight, and Illia Zabarnyi looked slow on the other two goals.

Meanwhile, PSG’s Champions League rivals Monaco host Nantes in Friday’s late game.

LUIS ENRIQUE REJECTS MANCHESTER UNITED INTEREST; DECLARES "ICI C’EST PARIS"

Luis Enrique has rejected Manchester United interest to stay at PSG, while Michael Carrick secures his fourth straight United win.

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PSG Board Opens Extension Talks With Luis Enrique Until 2028

Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique isn’t leaving any room for speculation about his future, even with Manchester United reportedly interested in bringing him to Old Trafford this summer. He’s on contract through 2027 and made it pretty clear he plans to stay right where he is. United, for their part, still need to pick a permanent manager when the season ends.

When reporters asked about the rumours linking him to United, Enrique didn’t dodge the question. He said he’s not thinking about leaving PSG, and there’s even talk he’s close to extending his deal. At his Monday press conference, he put it simply: “I am so happy at Paris Saint-Germain. Ici c’est Paris!” That’s about as direct as it gets.

Over at United, Michael Carrick is making a strong case to keep the job. United picked up their fourth win in a row by beating Tottenham 2-0 last weekend, and Carrick’s steady hand has people wondering if he’s the right guy long-term.

Carrick himself isn’t getting ahead of things. “Nothing’s changed, to be honest,” he said. “I know what my job is here and what’s expected. We want to win, and I want the club to keep winning, whether that’s with me or someone else in charge. Honestly, I can’t control what happens next. We’ll see, but my focus is on making United better. Good results in the short term don’t change that. If they did, something would be off. You can’t react to every high or low. I’m enjoying it here; I feel at home, but I know how these things go—I’m not getting carried away.”

While United fight to secure a top-four spot, PSG just keep rolling. They hammered Marseille 5-0 over the weekend and jumped back to the top of Ligue 1, two points clear of Lens. Luis Enrique was thrilled, but he still sees room for improvement. “We actually played an even better match in Lisbon, but lost 2-1. We created so many chances and hit the post four times. Still, this win matters for our confidence.”

He added, “It was almost perfect. We’re showing consistency, and the team are clicking—both as a group and as individuals. This is the best we’ve looked all season.”

Ousmane Dembélé, who scored twice in the big win, didn’t hold back either: “We wanted to make a statement—we’re back, and we’re hunting for trophies. The start of this season went well. Last year was much tougher. The important part of the season is coming, both in Ligue 1 and the Champions League. Lens will be right there with us…”

Dembélé, clearly finding his groove, summed it up: “I feel better. I’m hitting my stride. It’s getting better all the time.”

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