PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain failed to find the killer punch in a drab goalless draw at home to Montpellier yesterday, handing arch-rivals Marseille chance to end year on top of Ligue 1 table.
Marseille stay top on goal difference before they take on Lille at home today while third-placed Lyon, who could theoretically upset the apple cart if Marseille came unstuck, travel to Bordeaux.
But for the Parisians, it was another case of failing to live up to the pressure, following defeats to Barcelona in the Champions League and then Guingamp in the league. An error-strewn first-half at the Parc des Princes saw the mid-table visitors knock the Parisians out of their normally fluid style and frustrated them throughout the first 45 minutes.
Montpellier could even claim the best chance of the first 45 minutes when Morgan Sanson had the the ball in the net with an acrobatic volley from Antony Mounier’s cross from the left, but Mounier was harshly ruled offside and the goal did not count.
PSG had to wait until five minutes from half-time before carving out a creditable chance of their own but failed to take advantage as Edinson Cavani needed one touch too many on Marco Verratti’s through pass and the ball ran away from him, allowing Montpellier ‘keeper Jonathan Ligali to smother it.
The home side were looking anything like reigning champions even after upping the tempo at the start of the second half, as Montpellier managed to soak up everything PSG could throw.
But PSG gave notice that it might not be long before they took the lead as they moved up a gear in the 63rd minute. AFP
