Final Up to date: January 16, 2023, 22:22 IST
PSG lose to Rennes (Twitter)
Holders PSG might need left the door ajar for Lens and Marseille to mount a stunning title problem after the Parisian membership’s current defeats
May there really be a title race in France this season? That’s the query being requested after Paris Saint-Germain slumped to a second defeat of 2023 on Sunday to present hope to their rivals on the midway stage of the marketing campaign.
At first of the season the query was whether or not the PSG of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar may go the entire marketing campaign undefeated within the league.
They duly went unbeaten by way of their first 16 video games however that run was ended once they got here up towards their nearest challengers Lens on New 12 months’s Day.
With Messi nonetheless taking a post-World Cup break, PSG had been blown away in an intimidating environment in France’s far north and misplaced that sport 3-1.
On Sunday they suffered a second straight defeat on the street, dropping 1-0 at Champions League chasers Rennes regardless of fielding Messi, Mbappe and Neymar collectively for the primary time for the reason that World Cup.
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Lens and Rennes are two of the best-run golf equipment in France and two of the strongest groups at residence, so dropping towards these opponents isn’t any shame.
However it’s the method during which PSG have been overwhelmed that may be a trigger for concern for coach Christophe Galtier.
His group are but to rediscover the shape the shape they loved earlier than the season paused for the World Cup.
Now a crunch Champions League last-16 tie towards Bayern Munich is on the horizon — the primary leg in Paris is on February 14.
“If it’s a query of time then it’s pressing. We are able to discover a thousand excuses, our gamers had been scattered everywhere for weeks. However the World Cup is completed now,” Galtier mentioned after Sunday’s sport.
PSG’s season will finally be outlined by what occurs in Europe, and one other exit from the Champions League within the final 16 towards Bayern — a yr after they went out to Actual Madrid on the similar stage — could possibly be very pricey for Galtier.
However a deep run in Europe could make them extra prone to drop factors in Ligue 1, like in 2021 once they reached the Champions League semi-finals and missed out on the home title to Lille.
That was simply the third season for the reason that Qatari takeover of 2011 during which they haven’t completed as champions.
Lens and Marseille give chase
Midway by way of this marketing campaign, PSG are three factors away from Lens and 5 forward of Marseille, who they nonetheless should play away from residence.
Lens, whose solely league title thus far got here in 1998, have been excellent this season underneath coach Franck Haise and have gained 10 in a row at their rocking Stade Bollaert, the place packed crowds of 38,000 are higher than the inhabitants of the city itself.
Steeped within the working-class custom of a coal-mining area, Lens is a world away from the intense lights and glamour of Paris.
The membership has a modest finances they usually had been pressured to promote a number of key gamers within the final shut season, however they’re a shining instance for different mid-ranking French sides of what might be achieved.
In the meantime Marseille have put a painful exit from the Champions League in early November behind them and have gained all six league video games performed since then.
Below Croatian coach Igor Tudor, they performed with a stage of depth and urgency of their weekend win over Lorient that was in stark distinction to PSG.
They have already got extra factors than when Marcelo Bielsa’s thrilling Marseille aspect topped the desk midway by way of the 2014/15 season earlier than finally falling away.
“We now have 42 factors however we’re solely third,” Tudor mentioned.
“Which means two different groups are doing nice work. We’re midway by way of a marathon and we’ll see who can preserve it going.”
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(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated information company feed)