PARIS (AP) — Injury-hit Paris Saint-Germain scored the winner deep into stoppage time for the second straight game, beating Lyon 3-2 on Sunday to stay two points clear at the top of Ligue 1.
Lyon’s defenders failed to track João Neves on a corner from the left and the midfielder headed in from close range five minutes into added time, one week after Gonçalo Ramos headed home in the final seconds of stoppage time against Nice.
PSG is two points ahead of second-placed Marseille and third-placed Lens, who are separated by goal difference.
After losing to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday, PSG coach Luis Enrique was without Ousmane Dembélé (calf tear), right back Achraf Hakimi (sprained ankle) and left back Nuno Mendes (sprained knee). Rising star Désiré Doué (thigh tear) was also missing.
Midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery, deployed at right back, put PSG ahead in the 26th minute with an angled drive which flew over the left shoulder of goalkeeper Dominik Greif.
Host Lyon equalized four minutes later when Zaïre-Emery failed to track Afonso Moreira’s run behind him following a long ball and the Portuguese striker slotted into the left corner.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is usually a winger, started up front for PSG and put the visitors 2-1 ahead in the 33rd after United States midfielder Tanner Tessmann lost the ball on the edge of the penalty area.
But Lyon equalized again shortly after halftime through former Arsenal defender Ainsley Maitland-Niles. He latched onto a long ball and hit a first-time lob from 25 meters which sailed over the head of goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier.
World Cup-winning Argentina defender Nicolas Tagliafico was sent off for Lyon in stoppage time for a second yellow card. Moments later, PSG had a corner and punished Lyon.
Giroud gifts goal away
Olivier Giroud’s mistake gifted Emmanuel Emegha his second goal as Strasbourg won 2-0 at home to Lille.
Giroud is France’s all-time leading scorer with 57 goals and won the World Cup, the Champions League with Chelsea and Serie A with AC Milan in a highly successful career.
But despite his vast experience, he made a poor mistake as he passed the ball back from midfield without looking up and failed to spot Emegha nearby.
The Dutch forward ran through the middle, shook off two defenders, and finished confidently in the 62nd minute. He had opened the scoring in the 33rd when he turned in Diego Moreira’s cross with his knee.
Elsewhere, Metz’s mini-revival continued with a 2-1 home win against Nice to make it three straight victories after failing to win the first nine.
Winger Mohamed-Ali Cho gave Nice the lead in the 35th with a left-footed finish. Captain Gauthier Hein equalized with a penalty early in the second half to continue his recent scoring form and striker Habib Diallo netted a late winner.
Other matches
Also Sunday, struggling Lorient drew 1-1 with Toulouse and Angers won 2-0 at home to rock-bottom Auxerre.
Lorient striker Pablo Pagis — whose father Mickaël was also a forward — scored with a penalty close to halftime. Veteran Djibril Sidibé equalized from the spot.
Angers took a second-half lead with an own-goal from Norwegian defender Fredrik Oppegard and substitute striker Peter Prosper made the win safe late on.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
By JEROME PUGMIRE
AP Sports Writer
