With older brother Kylian Mbappé proudly looking on, teenager Ethan Mbappé struck a late equalizer against his former club on Sunday as Lille held injury-hit Paris Saint-Germain to a 1-1 draw.
Despite sharing the points, PSG returned to the top of the French league. It’s one point clear of a trio of challengers — Marseille, Strasbourg and Lyon.
Both Mbappé brothers left PSG in the summer of 2024. While Kylian crossed the border to join Real Madrid in the Spanish league, Ethan remained in France and signed a three-year deal with Lille. The technically gifted, left-footed 18-year-old midfielder was hampered by injuries last season but has been in great shape recently.
Kylian Mbappé was in the stands at Lille’s stadium and did not hide his joy when his brother leveled the score. The teenager marked his second goal of the season by mimicking his brother’s trademark celebration — arms crossed over his chest, hands tucked under his armpits.
He scored after coming on as a substitute with only nine minutes left to play. He was set up on the right side of the box and fired a low, left-footed strike to beat goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier in the 85th.
In a match with few chances, PSG had taken the lead in the 66th minute through Nuno Mendes. Widely regarded as one of the finest left backs for his rock-solid defensive displays, the Portugal player showcased his exquisite ball touch with a curled free kick into the top corner.
Toulouse upsets Lyon
Brazilian striker Emersonn scored two late goals as Toulouse came from behind to win 2-1 at Lyon.
Lyon led until the 87th minute but slumped to a second defeat this season after Emersonn first leveled the scoring with a powerful shot that took a deflection, then snatched the winner in added time with a header.
Lyon had dominated proceedings in the first half and had deservedly taken the lead in the 24th minute after a superb collective move started from the back and finished by Belgian forward Malick Fofana.
Fourth-placed Lyon has 15 points from seven games. Toulouse moved up to ninth place, five points behind.
Second-placed Marseille won at rock-bottom Metz 3-0 to notch a fourth straight win in Ligue 1 on Saturday.
Strasbourg into third place
Strasbourg thrashed Angers 5-0 despite several absences. Joaquín Panichelli scored twice for the visitors and is now joint top scorer in the league alongside Monaco’s Ansu Fati, with both players having netted five goals each. Martial Godo also scored twice for third-placed Strasbourg.
Riviera derby
The Riviera derby between Monaco and Nice ended in a 2-2 draw.
Nice went 2-0 up as Sofiane Diop hurt his former club with a brace in the first half. But Nice was reduced to 10 men in the 34th minute following Ali Abdi’s red card. Fati, who is on a season-long loan from Barcelona, scored twice from the spot for the hosts.
Also, Rennes drew 2-2 at Le Havre.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
By SAMUEL PETREQUIN
AP Sports Writer
