PSG waste two-goal lead, miss chance to move top in Ligue 1

Updated: May 17, 2023, 06:22 am
Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates his goal against Caen on Saturday, though PSG settled for a draw.
KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images

Paris Saint-Germain surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Caen and surrender valuable ground in the Ligue 1 title race.

The reigning champions would have leapfrogged both Lyon and Marseille to go top with victory over 14th-placed Caen and first-half goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ezequiel Lavezzi put them on track.

But they could not see out the full 90 minutes without conceding at the Parc des Princes as last-gasp goals from Emiliano Sala and substitute Herve Bazile extended Caen's unbeaten run to a fifth game.

Laurent Blanc's men got off to the perfect start when Serge Aurier escaped down the right and his pinpoint cross was volleyed beyond Remy Vercoutre by Ibrahimovic.

Aurier continued to cause problems for the Caen defence and only a smart reflex save by Vercoutre prevented Yohan Cabaye's first-time effort from his cross doubling the score as PSG threatened to run wild early on.

The hosts were forced into an early change when Cabaye went down off the ball but that failed to knock the champions off their flow and Thiago Silva headed Lavezzi's free-kick just wide of the post before the diminutive Argentinian added a second for PSG.

Lucas combined with Ibrahimovic before picking out Lavezzi on the left of the area who fired the ball across Vercoutre into the corner to round off a successful first half.

PSG had to make a second change at the interval, with David Luiz coming on for the injured Marquinhos, but the one-way traffic continued after the restart with Lavezzi going close again, forcing a save from Vercoutre with a header from Ibrahimovic's cross.

Caen were offering little resistance and David Luiz was inches away from a third PSG goal on 68 minutes but the substitute could only head wide of Vercoutre's post from Lucas' free-kick.

The hosts were forced to see out the final stages with nine men when, having made all three changes, Aurier went off injured before Lucas also forced off with another knock, which turned the game on its head.

Sala's emphatic finish with seconds left of normal time gave Caen hope and moments later, when Ibrahimovic fouled Nicolas Benezet on the edge of the area, Bazile took charge and bent a superbly placed set-piece beyond Salvatore Sirigu to stun the Parc des Princes.