Neymar’s double fails to save PSG from defeat
Paris Saint-Germain suffered their first defeat under Mauricio Pochettino as lowly Lorient fought back to claim a dramatic 3-2 victory on Sunday, allowing Lille to go top of Ligue 1.
Neymar scored two penalties but the visitors collapsed late on at the Stade du Moustoir, as Nigerian Terem Moffi netted an injury-time winner.
PSG drop to third, one point behind second-placed Lyon, with Lille a further two points ahead after their 1-0 win over Dijon.
“We have to keep the positive aspects and move forward,” said former Tottenham manager Pochettino.
“Accidents happen in football. We have to keep working. It makes us realise that it can happen if we don’t play at 100 percent.”
It was the first defeat in six games as PSG coach for Pochettino since he took over from the sacked Thomas Tuchel.The win takes struggling Lorient into the relegation play-off spot.
“(Moffi’s goal) was magical. Against PSG, it’s even crazier,” said Lorient’s Laurent Abergel, who scored the opening goal.
“For a Marseille fan like me, the first dream is perhaps to play for OM and the second to beat PSG.”
Lorient started brightly and had the first real shot in anger in the 30th minute, as Adrian Grbic’s long-range strike had to be pushed away by PSG goalkeeper Sergio Rico.
The hosts did take the lead six minutes later, though, as PSG failed several times to clear and Abergel picked out the top corner with the outside of his left boot.
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Neymar levelled on the stroke of half-time from the penalty spot with his fifth league goal of the season.
PSG improved after the break and took the lead in the 57th minute as Houboulang Mendes, who also conceded the first penalty, brought down Mauro Icardi and Neymar again made no mistake.
It was the first time since Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2015 that a PSG player had netted two spot-kicks in a Ligue 1 match.