Football: Messi strikes early to keep PSG top in Ligue 1

PARIS, France -- Lionel Messi struck after five minutes as Paris Saint-Germain edged Lyon 1-0 to regain top spot in the Ligue 1 table ahead of Marseille on Sunday.

Neymar set up the Argentinian with his seventh assist in eight Ligue 1 games. 

The victory pulled PSG two points clear of Marseille who had taken top spot earlier with a 1-1 draw at home against Rennes.

Lorient, 3-1 winners over Auxerre, are three points adrift of the leaders. 

Lens dropped to fourth after being held to a goalless draw in Nantes.

"PSG played a great game tonight, against a difficult team which was waiting for us," said PSG coach Christophe Galtier.

"We scored a good goal and could have scored others.

"We were much more balanced, Neymar in particular gave us a balance which was really necessary. Even if we were less mobile in the second half we still had a lot of chances."

PSG were imperious in the first half but did not finish off their opponent who woke up after the break with Johann Lepenant coming on in place of a tired Corentin Tolisso. 

But Galtier's side held on to inflict Lyon's third defeat of the season.

Galtier's "MNM" attack is firing on all cylinders, with eight goals in Ligue 1 for Neymar, seven for Kylian Mbappe and four for Messi. 

Earlier, Marseille midfielder Matteo Guendouzi scored both goals in a 1-1 draw at home against Rennes.

Guendouzi bundled past home keeper Pau Lopez to give Rennes the advantage after 26 minutes but the former Arsenal player redeemed himself with a header past ex-Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda seven minutes after the break.

Mandanda returned to a warm welcome for his first match back at the Velodrome where the former Marseille skipper spent 15 years before leaving for Brittany in the summer.

"He was very good, very calm, while it was very difficult for him emotionally," said Rennes coach Bruno Genesio of Mandanda who holds the record for the number of games played for Marseille with 613.

Nice fell 1-0 at home against Angers in a match in which defender Jean-Clair Todibo earned a red card after five seconds and both teams finished with 10 men.

Todibo was sent off after just nine seconds, and that includes the four seconds it took referee Bastien Dechepy to pull the card out of his pocket.

Sofiane Boufal kicked off for Angers and passed to Adrien Hunou. He found striker Abdallah Sima surging forward. Sima pushed the ball past Todibo who stuck out a leg and tripped the striker.

After a video review, the decision that Todibo was the last defender stood. 

Even though Boufal was later sent off, Angers won 1-0 with Nabil Bentaleb scoring just before the break.

"I don't think it was a red card," said Nice coach Lucien Favre saying Dante and Jordan Lotomba were covering. "It was not a scoring opportunity.

"We would have won this game if we had played with eleven players."

- 'Killed the game' -

There was also red card controversy in Reims who fell 3-0 to Monaco with defender Bradley Locko sent off after 22 minutes for leaving a boot in on Breel Embolo.

"The referee killed the game," lamented Reims coach Oscar Garcia, and "it's not the first time". 

Club president Jean-Pierre Caillot has been also suspended until December 31 for criticizing the refereeing in a draw against Lyon last month.

In a punishing game in Brittany, Ajaccio got their first win of the season 1-0 at Brest in a match where two players were stretched off.

Seconds after kick-off, Ajaccio goalkeeper Benjamin Leroy caught a team-mate's knee head-on as he tried to catch a ball.

"There was a loss of consciousness, he was hit in the neck," said Corsican coach Olivier Pantaloni.

An aerial duel also floored Noah Fadiga after half an hour, leaving the defender stunned in a head-to-head clash with Ismael Diallo. 

The 22-year-old Brest player also left the pitch on a stretcher, giving the thumbs up to try to reassure the fans. 

Ajaccio got their first success of the season thanks to Romain Hamouma's 65th-minute goal, to leave the Corsicans only one point behind Brest and Strasbourg.

Elsewhere Troyes won 3-1 at Clermont to move up to 10th after two defeats in a row.

Agence France-Presse

Football: PSG aided by own goal for the ages in win over Lyon

PARIS, France -- Paris Saint-Germain survived the absence of Neymar and a Lyon fightback to win Sunday night's Ligue 1 clash 4-2 at a stormy Parc des Princes, helped by Fernando Marcal's truly stunning second-half own goal.

Runaway leaders and defending champions PSG were cruising at half-time with Angel Di Maria and Kylian Mbappe giving them a two-goal advantage against a Lyon side enduring a disappointing season.

Then Marcal comically blasted the ball into the roof of his own net just after the break, leaving Lyon looking at another heavy defeat in Paris, where they lost 5-0 in this fixture last season.

However, Martin Terrier and Moussa Dembele quickly pulled goals back, and PSG needed a late strike by substitute Edinson Cavani to secure the points.

"Normally after a goal like that the game is over," said coach Thomas Tuchel of the own goal. "But we were not disciplined enough and it was a lesson for us that it's never over."

PSG's performance showcased why they can ill afford to be complacent heading into their Champions League last 16, first leg match away to Borussia Dortmund on February 18, even if sporting director Leonardo insisted to Canal Plus that the tie was "not life or death" for the Qatar-owned club.

They will hope to have Neymar back by then. The world's most expensive player sat out a second consecutive match here due to a rib complaint.

"We play a lot of games and errors happen but I don't know if it's the time to be too critical," Tuchel added.

"The team was great and we can't forget we were without lots of key players."

Without Neymar -- as well as his injured compatriots, Thiago Silva and Marquinhos, in defence -- Tuchel's side made it eight straight wins and stretched their unbeaten run to 21 games in all competitions.

Lyon, meanwhile, have not won in three and this result leaves the seven-time former champions in ninth place.

They are eight points adrift of the Champions League qualifying spots and their upcoming European double-header against Juventus looks certain to be a step too far for them.


- Cavani nears double-century -

How Rudi Garcia's side must have wished this match had been postponed due to the swirling wind and rain caused by Storm Ciara -- which left ticker-tape from pre-match fan displays strewn all over the pitch -- as they struggled to keep up with PSG in the first half.

PSG broke forward to open the scoring midway through the first half as Idrissa Gueye fed Di Maria to cut in from the right and beat Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes with a low strike at his near post.

Thomas Meunier then squared for Mbappe to score his 15th league goal of the season in the 38th minute after fine work by Mauro Icardi, and both Icardi and Mbappe also had goals disallowed for offside before the interval.

Then, two minutes after the break, came what looked like the coup de grace.

An attempted cutback by Julian Draxler was going nowhere before Thiago Mendes intervened, allowing Draxler to keep the ball in play and return it to the edge of the six-yard box, where the hapless Marcal slammed it into the roof of his own net.

Nevertheless, Lyon hit back with Terrier's shot squirming under the body of Keylor Navas before Karl Toko Ekambi teed up Dembele to convert his 13th in the league this season just prior to the hour mark.

Mbappe had another effort ruled out and then hit the woodwork, and it was not until the introduction of Cavani -- the fans' favourite reduced to role of bit-part player -- that the home side made sure of the points.

Di Maria set up the Uruguayan to complete the scoring 10 minutes from time with what was his 199th goal for PSG.

They are 12 points clear of Marseille, who beat Toulouse 1-0 on Saturday with a Dimitri Payet goal. Elsewhere on Sunday, Montpellier beat struggling Saint-Etienne 1-0 and Strasbourg won 3-0 against Reims, with both sides staying in touch with the European places.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Neymar saves PSG to send champions three points clear

PARIS, France -- Neymar scored a fine late winner as Paris Saint-Germain beat Lyon 1-0 on Sunday to move three points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table.

The Brazilian finally beat Anthony Lopes, who had pulled off numerous impressive saves, with three minutes of normal time to play at the Groupama Stadium.

It was Neymar's second winning goal in as many league games since being reinstated to the team following a protracted transfer saga which saw him attempt to force through a return to Barcelona.

"Neymar can do better," said PSG coach Thomas Tuchel. "It's the second or third game in four months for him. He's not at 100 percent capacity.

"He is not at his limit. He can do better, he will do better. He's going to get to his best level, with matches and decisive goals like that, it's going to help him."

The Parisians sit top on 15 points after Angers and Nice both won over the weekend to temporarily join Tuchel's side at the summit, and followed up their impressive midweek Champions League victory over Real Madrid with the win in constant drizzling rain in Lyon.

Sylvinho's Lyon remain in ninth place and are without a win since mid-August.

PSG were without the attacking trio of Kylian Mbappe, Edinson Cavani and Mauro Icardi due to injuries, while midfielder Marco Verratti started on the bench.

The best of the early chances fell to Neymar on 22 minutes but his effort was superbly saved by Lopes.

Neymar was denied again by another tidy Lopes stop four minutes before the break as the Portugal international tipped the Brazil forward's dangerous free-kick over the bar. 

PSG's domination from the first half carried over into the second 45 minutes.

Abdou Diallo had the pick of the chances, using the wet conditions to glance a header from a Neymar corner over the crossbar.

The world's most expensive player was targeted by home fans when taking set-pieces from the left-hand side as they threw plastic bottles and rolled-up bin bags at him.

With 87 minutes on the clock, substitute Verratti found Neymar in the box who dribbled into space and finally beat Lopes to the keeper's left with a low shot.

He celebrated by running towards the same corner of the ground where he had earlier been taunted by the Lyon supporters.

- Hat-trick hero Ninga -

Earlier, Angers moved into second place after replacement Casimir Ninga scored an 11-minute hat-trick in a 4-1 thrashing of Saint-Etienne.

Ninga, who joined the club from second-tier Caen in August, put Angers into the lead with less than a quarter of an hour remaining before adding two more goals by the 89th minute to clinch their first home win over Saint-Etienne in 43 years.

The defeat at Stade Raymond Kopa leaves Les Verts a point above the relegation zone, with Ghislain Printant's outfit having failed to win since the opening day of the season.

Stephane Moulin's Angers, who finished 13th in the league last season, have claimed four wins from their opening six fixtures to pull level with Nice in second spot.

"Casimir made a thundering impact. I truly congratulate him because he's worked a lot since arriving at the club," Moulin said.

"The second half perfectly resembles what we have been doing since the start of the season. It's a little bit new but it corresponds perfectly to what we're trying to do."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

‘Worst is still to come’: Sizzling Europe battles wildfires, health risks

TARRAGONA, Spain/PARIS - Wildfires raged across Catalonia and French authorities stepped up restrictions on water use and driving in cities as swathes of western Europe remained in the grip of an intense heatwave.

Temperatures climbed towards 44 degrees Celsius in parts of northern Spain and southern France, driving many people to seek relief in the sea, rivers, lakes, fountains and swimming pools.

Spanish firefighters struggled to douse wildfires across nearly 10,000 acres (4,000 hectares) in the northeastern region of Catalonia. They warned that the affected area could increase as much as fivefold because of the fierce heat and winds.

Helicopters dumped water on the fires, which raged some 80 km (50 miles) inland from the coastal town of Tarragona. There were no reports of casualties, but the regional government said some 30 people had been evacuated from farmhouses in the area.

The wildfires are among the worst Catalonia has seen in 20 years, the regional government said.

In neighboring France to the north, authorities extended restrictions on vehicles, already imposed in Paris and Lyon, to Marseille and Strasbourg in an effort to curb air pollution.

Some schools postponed summer examinations, and parts of northern France were put on drought alert, with water supplies to businesses, farmers and ordinary residents restricted. Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume announced a ban on the transportation of animals until the heatwave has ended.

Grid operator RTE said French electricity demand on Thursday was close to a summer record seen two years ago, as people turned on fans and coolers to full blast for relief from the scorching temperatures.

"Calls to the emergency services are on the rise nationwide. We are seeing the beginning of a clear impact of the heatwave. For us the worst is still to come," said Jerome Saloman, head of national public health.

He said four drownings had been recorded in France since the start of the week directly linked to the heatwave as people try to cool themselves. However, the full toll directly linked to the heatwave would only be known in the days or weeks ahead.

Health Minister Agnes Buzyn said four administrative regions in the south had been placed on red alert, the highest crisis level, with 76 others on orange alert.

“This episode of heatwave is unprecedented in France. It is exceptional in its intensity,” she told a news conference.

The red alert would mean school outings and outdoor sport and other festive activities are suspended or postponed. She cautioned joggers and other sport lovers to curb their activities.

There was at least relief for northern Germany on Thursday as temperatures slid to more normal levels for June. In Berlin it was 21 degrees Celsius, down from around 37 on Wednesday.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Football: Wasteful Barca held to goalless draw at defiant Lyon

LYON, France - Barcelona were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw at Olympique Lyonnais in their Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday as both sides remained unbeaten in this season's competition.

The La Liga leaders dominated the match at the Groupama stadium but lacked accuracy up front and were grateful to their goalkeeper Marc Andre ter Stegen who made two great saves.

Lyon were lively in the first half but ran out of steam after the break and were holding on in the closing stages as Lionel Messi tried in vain to open up the home defence.

Barca had a total of 25 shots but only five on target and their best chance came in the last minute when Sergio Busquets's 18-metre attempt was tipped over the bar by Anthony Lopes.

The second leg will be at the Nou Camp on March 13, a game where Lyon will welcome back France striker and captain Nabil Fekir, who was suspended on Tuesday.

"We could have done better in the first half and converted our chances but we did not concede a goal so our chances are intact," said Lyon defender Leo Dubois.

OL coach Bruno Genesio sprung a surprise by fielding Martin Terrier on the left wing instead of Maxwell Cornet and the 21-year-old did not disappoint.

SUPERB SAVES

Barca dominated possession early on, but Lyon had the first two shots on target and it took a couple of superb saves from Ter Stegen to deny the hosts, who never came that close again.

He stretched to his left to parry a vicious low shot by Hassem Aouar in the fifth minute before making a one-handed save to tip a 25-metre Terrier missile onto his crossbar.

Barca forward Ousmane Dembele came close in the 19th minute when he dribbled past Dubois on the left flank, only for keeper Anthony Lopes to deny him in a one-on-one.

The visitors had the upper hand but were uncharacteristically wasteful as they spurned several counter-attacking opportunities.

A Dembele attempt shaved Lopes's post before Terrier skied his shot over the bar after a superb series of one-twos tore the Barca defence apart as both sides tried to break the deadlock.

Lyon were under siege early in the second period but their defence was perfectly marshalled by Jason Denayer with Dubois also proving decisive against Luis Suarez.

Lopes beat Messi's angled shot away to keep his side level before Dembele was replaced by Philippe Coutinho, who had a clear chance in the 76th but was denied by in-form Lopes.

Barca have now failed to win any of their last six away games in the Champions League knockout stage, with their last victory coming at Arsenal in February 2016.

(Writing by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ken Ferris)

source: news.abs-cbn.com