The Decision Behind The Move
PARIS — Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain was held to a 2-2 home draw by Lorient on Saturday, but Ligue 1 title rival Lens failed to capitalize after drawing 1-1 at Nice later that day.
With three rounds remaining, PSG's lead at the top remains intact. Lens, hosting PSG on May 13, would have moved within striking distance had it taken all three points at Nice.
The title of the job changes quickly; the explanation usually takes a little longer to catch up.
PSG's draw: Teenage forward Ibrahim Mbaye put PSG ahead 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. Zaïre-Emery scored shortly after coming on in the 62nd minute with a deflected strike from 20 meters.
The Job Ahead
PSG academy striker Pierre Mounguengue then came on for his first-team debut, only to give 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.
The result comes after PSG beat Bayern Munich 5-4 earlier this week in a pulsating Champions League semifinal. Coach Luis Enrique had 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.
Lens's draw: 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 when defender Ali Abdi turned in Sofiane Diop's deflected free kick.
The Pressure That Remains
Elsewhere: 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 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.