LENS: World Cup winners Lionel Messi and Paris St-Germain with out Neymar have been defeated in a match for the primary time since March 20 final yr, after they misplaced 3-1 to Lens on Sunday.

PSG coach Christophe Galtier mentioned: “Lens deserved the win.

Lois scored a purpose within the Open and arrange one other as Lens, who misplaced solely as soon as in Ligue 1 this season.

The consequence signifies that Galtier’s aspect is 44 factors in 17 video games, 4 factors forward of Lens in second place.

“We’re completely satisfied to be 4 factors behind,” mentioned Lens coach Franck Haise.

“This victory proves that we will beat anybody on this championship.”

PSG’s final loss was greater than 9 months in the past after they have been crushed 3-0 at Monaco in Ligue 1, however that also put them within the lead by 12 factors.

Kylian Mbappe, winner of the Golden Shoe in Qatar, was greeted enthusiastically by Lens followers as he warmed up.

Galtier mentioned he hopes French followers can have an analogous response to Messi.

“He’ll be part of us in 48 hours on January 3,” Galtier mentioned. “I hope Leo is nicely obtained. He gained the most effective trophy for being so good.”

The hosts took an early lead, 5 minutes later, when PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma volleyed the ball into the open internet in a diversion to an unmarked Przemyslaw Frankowski.

Three minutes later, Hugo Ekitike tied for PSG when he got here to a midpoint in entrance of ahead Lens goalkeeper Brice Samba and tapped the ball.

Lens striker Openda took a break from Seko Fofana within the twenty eighth minute and rushed into the penalty space, the place he defeated defender Marquinhos and regained his staff’s lead when he got here to the decrease proper nook of the purpose.French striker Alexis Claude-Maurice Two minutes into the second half to seal the win three for the lens.

The French league usually permits the vacation season, however with matches scheduled after the World Cup, it performed one spherical simply after Christmas and one other on Sunday and Monday.

They known as the video games ‘Celebration Week’ in English as a nod to the British custom of Boxing Day video games, however many followers are skeptical or hostile.

Among the many protest banners unfurled by followers in an nearly empty sales space in Nantes, the place the house staff beat Auxerre 1-0, was a banner complaining that the league and broadcasters have been “killing” them.

In Monaco, Aleksandr Golovin scored the one purpose from outdoors the penalty space, and the house staff beat Brest 1-0 to consolidate their fourth-place dominance.

Anger bottomed out after shedding them for the ninth consecutive time and fell 2-1 to go to Lorient, who broke his personal six-game streak with out a win.

The house staff’s Moroccan World Cup stars Sofiane Boufal and Azzedine Ounahi have reportedly simply returned from trip and have been promised a profitable switch, they have been honored earlier than the match however didn’t play.

Printed in Daybreak, January 3, 2023