Ligue 1 leader PSG drops points in draw with Lorient before title rival Lens

AAS Editorial Team

Ligue 1 leader PSG drops points in draw with Lorient before title rival Lens

PARIS — Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain was held 2-2 at home by Lorient but Ligue 1 title rival Lens failed to take advantage as it drew 1-1 at Nice later on Saturday.

The gap remains six points with three rounds remaining. Second-place Lens could have cut PSG's lead to four points with a win ahead of their May 13 meeting.

PSG held by Lorient

Teenage forward Ibrahim Mbaye put PSG ahead from close range in the sixth minute when goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo fumbled a cross straight onto him.

Poor defending allowed Pablo Pagis to equalize six minutes later with a neat volley past 19-year-old backup goalie Renato Marin.

PSG beat Bayern Munich 5-4 earlier this week in a pulsating Champions League semifinal match. Coach Luis Enrique rested goalkeeper Matvei Safonov, midfielder Vitinha and defender Nuno Mendes ahead of Wednesday's return leg in Germany. Star forward Ousmane Dembélé was on the bench with midfielders Joao Neves and Warren Zaïre-Emery.

Zaïre-Emery scored immediately after coming on in the 62nd minute with a slightly deflected strike from 20 meters.

PSG academy striker Pierre Mounguengue made his first-team debut but gave the ball away with a back pass. It was intercepted by Benin striker Aiyegun Tosin, who raced clear and scored with a low shot in the 77th minute.

Lens held by Nice

Left winger Allan Saint-Maximin put Lens ahead in the 61st minute against his former club, latching on to Adrien Thomasson's fine pass from deep and netting with a composed finish.

But after Lens defender Saud Abdulhamid was sent off in the 81st minute, Nice equalized moments later when defender Ali Abdi turned in Sofiane Diop's deflected free kick.

Marseille's slump continues

Marseille's chaotic season continued with a 3-0 loss at next-to-last Nantes. A fourth defeat in six games dented Marseille's chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League, with only the top three advancing directly.

The day got even worse for Marseille, which dropped to seventh after Monaco won 2-1 at last-place Metz. Paul Pogba was picked in midfield for Monaco, giving the former France star his first league start since 2023 with Juventus. He lasted one hour.

American forward Folarin Balogun and former Barcelona prodigy Ansu Fati got Monaco's goals.

The Nantes forward line clicked as Ignatius Ganago, former Marseille winger Rémy Cabella and Matthis Abline all scored.

More Ligue 1 News: