December 05, (THEWILL) – PSG rescued a point with a 1-1 draw at RC Lens on Saturday night with a late header by Georginio Wijnaldum. The goal cancelled out Seko Fofana’s goal that seemed set to give all three points to the hosts.
Lens deserve credit for showing no fear of their star-studded opponents. In the first 20 minutes, they matched the intensity of Les Parisiens although it was the visitors who came closest to breaking the deadlock.
Despite lacking any cohesion in the first half, PSG did manage to get the ball to Lionel Messi in the attacking third, only for the Argentinian to send the ball crashing into the woodwork from distance.
Throughout the first half, both teams threatened to break through, and PSG came close to doing so only seconds before halftime. Angel Di Maria met Achraf Hakimi’s dangerous cross into the six-yard box, but the Argentinian’s shot was saved by Jean-Louis Leca.
After the half, Mauricio Pochettino’s side struggled to cope with their hosts’ energy and eventually fell behind deservedly just after the hour mark, albeit in questionable circumstances.
With Messi in pain on the ground, Lens refused to stop the game and pressed forward with Fofana in possession. The midfielder fired a long-range shot that Keylor Navas flapped at but could not keep out.
Just a few minutes later, the hosts came close to increasing their lead, with David Da Costa hitting the post, before Kylian Mbappe forced Leca into a superb stop with his first touch after being introduced into the game.
The visitors pressed for an equaliser and were rewarded after the clock hit 90 minutes, courtesy of Wijnaldum’s stunning header from Mbappe’s cross.
The 1-1 draw extends PSG’s lead at the top of Ligue 1 to 13 points, while Lens remain in fifth place, one point behind the top three. But, Les Parisiens have now gone two consecutive Ligue 1 games without a win for the first time since Pochettino took over in January.
PSG, who have already qualified for the Champions League knockout stages, play Club Brugge in their final Group A encounter on Tuesday before visiting Monaco in Ligue 1 the following weekend. In the meantime, Lens will face Nantes in the league on Friday.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
