PSG stretch their lead
Fans brave unprecedented El Clasico security checks
PARIS: Reigning champions Paris SaintGermain stretched their lead in Ligue 1 to 13 points yesterday after claiming a 2-1 victory away to Lorient with security tight after the attacks in Paris. Playing for the first time since the attacks, the capital club extended their winning run to eight matches through first-half goals from Hervin Ongenda and Blaise Matuidi at the Stade du Moustoir. Benjamin Moukandjo netted his league-best 10th goal to set up a nervy finish but Lorient ultimately suffered their first defeat in six outings. “It’s very positive in the sense that we continue our very satisfying run,” said PSG coach Laurent Blanc.
“Even if the context in which we prepared for this match was difficult, I think we can be pleased tonight. “I’m not to hide from you that I really want to get back to Paris and be with my family though,” he added. Tightened security checks were in place in Brittany, much like the rest of the country, just eight days after terrorist attacks in Paris and by the Stade de France left 130 people dead and more than 350 injured. As on Friday prior to Nice’s 3-0 victory over Lyon, France’s national anthem, ‘La Marseillaise’, rang out around the ground before a minute’s silence was observed in memory of the victims.
Eleven doves of peace were released into the sky ahead of kick-off, while PSG players wore shirts adorned with the words “Je suis Paris” (I am Paris) below the club crest. Blanc had admitted it would not be easy for his team to focus on football following last week’s atrocities but said none of his players had asked him to be left out of yesterday’s squad. However, the league leaders were without Javier Pastore, Marco Verratti, Angel Di Maria and Ezequiel Lavezzi due to injury while David Luiz was rested to protect his knee from Lorient’s artificial surface.
PSG had won on each of their last four visits to Lorient and duly grabbed a 26thminute lead through academy product Ongenda who poked home Gregory van der Wiel’s cross for his first goal in the French top flight. Ongenda had a hand in the visitors’ second goal six minutes later, releasing Zlatan Ibrahimovic with the Swede then squaring for Matuidi to guide past Lorient goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte from close range. Sylvain Ripoll’s hosts had lost just once since August and nearly find a way back into the contest when Raphael Guerreiro sent an effort just wide of Kevin Trapp’s right-hand post early into the second half.
Lorient did eventually pull one back on 82 minutes as Cameroon striker Moukandjo, who now has five goals in his last three matches, headed in substitute Romain Philippoteaux’s cross but it served as nothing more than a consolation. Nice climbed to third on Friday Valere Germain and Vincent Koziello struck either side of a Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa own-goal to move them to within a point of second-placed Lyon. Monaco host Nantes later on while the Corsica derby between Bastia and Gazelac Ajaccio has been rescheduled for Sunday due to strong winds. Marseille travel to Saint-Etienne for today’s late kick-off with fourth-placed Caen at home to fifthplaced Angers. — AFP MADRID: Sniffer dogs, mounted police, helicopters, security forces in their hundreds and countless identity checks greeted fans for yesterday’s El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Supporters flocking to see the showpiece clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona in the Spanish capital were confronted with an unprecedented security display for what is widely regarded as the biggest game in world football, just over a week after the deadly Paris attacks. “In 20 years that I’ve been coming here, it’s the first time I’ve seen something like this. There’s always police, but nothing like today,” said student Borja Jimenez, standing with a drink before entering the mythic stadium ahead of the game, which started later with a minute of silence for the Paris victims as a large French flag was unfurled.
“It’s super secure, there’s no way anyone can bring in a bomb here,” added the Real Madrid supporter, who had to go through three checks before he was able to enter the ring of security laid out by authorities in streets adjacent to the ground. Some 1,000 police have been deployed to protect the stadium and another 1,400 security guards are also keeping a watchful eye on a game that has an estimated global television audience of 500 million. Spanish authorities have labeled the game a “high risk” one after the Stade de France was one of a number of targets struck during the Paris attacks last week that left 130 people dead and more than 350 injured.
‘Show of resistance’
In Madrid, as supporters queued to enter the 81,000-strong stadium and have their pockets and bags searched, armed police stood watch every few meters, security forces on horseback passed by and still others walked around with sniffer dogs. But the heightened security appeared not to have dampened the excitement of the thousands who flocked to the stadium, some from as far away as Tajikistan... or from France, like Melanie Bezzazi, whose relatives were worried about her travelling to Madrid for the game.
“We can’t deprive oneself of everything, cancel everything... They cancelled quite a lot of stuff in france, quite a lot of events so we came here hoping to enjoy things a bit,” said the 25-yearold, a French flag wrapped around her. Preparations for the game started hours before the 1715GMT kickoff, with police going over every square inch of the area surrounding the stadium.
But authorities attempted to ease concerns ahead of a clash dominated by security fears. “There isn’t a REAL threat to the Madrid-Barca game at the weekend. Entrust us with your security and ENJOY IT!,” Spain’s national police tweeted on Friday. In a comment piece, the La Vanguardia daily said the game had taken on a “special dimension.”“This is a sporting event, but at the same time it’s also a show of resistance to terror,” the newspaper wrote. “Fans will go to the pitch, like so many other times, to cheer on their teams, wanting to enjoy a great game. But at the same time, they will also go to say loud and clear that terror will not change our habits nor our lifestyles.” —AFP