PARIS: French league leader Paris Saint-Germain needed a late equalizer from substitute Thilo Kehrer to grab a 1-1 draw at an inspired Lyon on Sunday.
Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta scored in the eighth minute as Lyon took control but, after Kylian Mbappe hit the post for PSG, Kehrer hit a scuffed shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 76th that bounced over goalkeeper Anthony Lopes.
PSG is 11 points ahead of second-place Nice and Marseille. But PSG has won just two of its last six games and needed last-gasp equalizers against Lens and lowly Lorient heading into the winter break.
Similar frailties were exposed again as Lyon’s audacious approach paid off.
PSG had struggled to contain the slick and powerful Paqueta in Paris back in September, when he opened the scoring only for PSG to benefit from a soft penalty and a goal in the final seconds of injury time to win 2-1.
Lyon started strongly again and Houssem Aouar had just gone close when Paqueta opened the scoring, hitting a fine low drive from the right edge of the penalty area.
Bruno Guimaraes opened up PSG’s fragile defense with a superb curling pass from midfield into Paqueta’s path, and he finished with confidence — just like in Paris.
Lopes then made a fine save from PSG defender Marquinhos’ lob and Mbappe hit the post as the visitors fought back.
But PSG’s flagging midfield was easily bypassed again in the 59th when striker Moussa Dembele raced clear, only for goalkeeper Keylor Navas to save his low shot from the right.
Mbappe sliced a shot over in the 71st from the left when teammates waited for a pass in the area and hit the bar in the 82nd.
But defeat would have been harsh on a Lyon side far better than 11th place suggests.
Earlier, Nice overcame an early sending off to add two more goals in a 3-0 win at Brest.
After Denmark striker Kasper Dolberg opened the scoring in the 13th minute, Nice midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin was shown a red card in the 20th.
Nice withstood pressure before substitute striker Andy Delort netted in the 79th from forward Amine Gouiri’s fifth assist of a productive season. Gouiri grabbed his ninth goal with an effort deep in stoppage time.
Nice is above third-place Marseille on goal difference, although Marseille has played one game less.
Nice coach Christophe Galtier paired Gouiri with Dolberg in a 4-4-2 formation. Dolberg’s goal was set up by Justin Kluivert — son of the prolific former Ajax, Barcelona and Netherlands striker, Patrick Kluivert.
Schneiderlin was then ordered off by referee Stephanie Frappart for a dangerous tackle.
Philippe Clement’s first game in charge of Monaco ended in a 0-0 draw at Nantes.
Clement won three straight Belgian league titles and replaced Niko Kovac after he was fired during the midseason break.
Clement earned a reputation as an attack-minded coach but this was a frustrating game of few chances, where Monaco defenders Djibril Sidibe and Benoît Badiashile limped off with thigh injuries in the first half.
Monaco is seventh and Nantes dropped to ninth behind Strasbourg, which won 2-0 at relegation-threatened Metz thanks to goals from striker Ludovic Ajorque and substitute Jean-Eudes Ahoulou.
Also, Clermont drew 0-0 with fellow struggler Reims.
Montpellier’s home game with Troyes was postponed because of a high number of coronavirus cases in the Troyes squad.
Many teams have been hit hard.
PSG was without Lionel Messi and several other players who had the virus. Messi returns to individual training in the coming days after testing negative for the virus on Thursday.
But winger Angel Di Maria, midfielder Julian Draxler, central defender Danilo Pereira, left back Layvin Kurzawa and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma remain in isolation.
PSG grabs late 1-1 draw at Lyon, second-place Nice wins 3-0
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PSG grabs late 1-1 draw at Lyon, second-place Nice wins 3-0
- PSG is 11 points ahead of second-place Nice and Marseille
Real Madrid victory in Super Cup semi-final sets up fourth consecutive El Clásico in Saudi Arabia
- Early Valverde rocket set the tone for a physical encounter in front of a packed Al-Inma Stadium
- 55,651 fans attended the match, topping Barcelona-Athletic Bilbao’s crowd by more than 5,000
JEDDAH: While Wednesday saw a sea of blue and red take over Al-Inma Stadium, Thursday belonged almost entirely to the colour white. The second semi-final of the 2026 Spanish Super Cup pitted Madrid Derby rivals Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid against each other in a fiercely contested encounter that ignited within the opening two minutes and ended with a 2-1 victory to Real Madrid.
In the first minute of the game, Real Madrid won a free kick from a position that appeared harmless, but Federico Valverde had other ideas. The Uruguayan unleashed a thunderous long-range strike that flew into the net, sending the stadium into raptures almost immediately.
Despite the early breakthrough, Real Madrid did not dominate proceedings. Atlético controlled much of the shot count, pushing relentlessly as they attempted to overcome the forged “home” advantage enjoyed by their city rivals in Jeddah.
That advantage was not driven solely by Saudi supporters. Ahead of kick-off, official broadcaster Thmanyah Sports got hold of a Real Madrid fan from Iraq who praised the organisation of the event and thanked Saudi Arabia for providing fans from across the region the opportunity to watch their team live.
Atlético didn’t plan on sending those fans home with a smile. They forced Thibaut Courtois into action on multiple occasions, with his save from a corner mid-way into the first half proving key in preserving Real’s lead.
Real did get close to doubling their advantage in the 27th minute when Rodrygo found himself through on goal, executing a trademark Ronaldo chop to beat his marker before being denied by Jan Oblak.
Atlético resumed their push after the break. In the 49th minute, they looked to find Julián Álvarez with a dangerous cross, but Antonio Rüdiger reacted sharply to step in and clear.
Once again, it was Real Madrid’s individual quality that made the difference. Valverde split the defence with a perfectly weighted through ball, releasing Rodrygo, who calmly slotted past Oblak in the 55th minute.
Atlético responded with increased vigour almost immediately. A slick move down the right flank culminated in a cross from Giuliano Simeone, which Alexander Sørloth powered home beyond Raúl Asencio in the 58th minute to bring the contest back to life.
As Atlético pushed for an equaliser, the Real Madrid fans rallied behind their team with chants familiar to Jeddah. Borrowing from one of Al-Ahli’s most popular anthems — one that engulfed Middle Eastern football in recent years — the crowd sang in unison: “For Real we came, from every city.”
Atlético were not fazed, as they came agonisingly close to levelling soon after. Antoine Griezmann produced a spectacular overhead kick from close range, only for Courtois to make another vital save. Moments later, Marcos Llorente broke through on the right once more, but his effort drifted wide.
Llorente continued to threaten, curling another attempt — this time from outside the box — but once again failed to find the target as Atlético searched desperately for a way back into the game.
Ultimately, Real Madrid managed to emerge unscathed, as they held on for the 2-1 victory.
Sunday will see the Al-Inma Stadium host once again, as Barcelona and Real Madrid face off in the fourth consecutive El Clásico Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia. Barcelona won the first encounter in 2023, followed by a 4-1 victory by Real in 2024, before Barcelona rallied to a 5-2 victory in the 2025 edition.
