Neymar reaches milestone but PSG held ahead of United tie

PARIS: Neymar scored his 50th league goal for Paris St Germain but warned the Ligue 1 leaders needed to improve quickly as they prepared for a crunch European clash with Manchester United by drawing 2-2 with Bordeaux.

The world’s most expensive player scored a penalty to cancel out an early Timothee Pembele own goal and become the quickest to reach a half century of league goals in a PSG shirt, outdoing Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Moise Kean then put PSG in front only for Yacine Adli to fire in a superb second-half equaliser for mid-table Bordeaux, who deserved their draw.

It is a setback for the reigning French champions, a week after they lost 3-2 at Monaco.

“If we don’t improve it’s going to be difficult for us in the league and in the Champions League,” Neymar told Canal Plus ahead of the trip to Old Trafford on Wednesday.

PSG were again missing key players, as has often been the case this season, with goalkeeper Keylor Navas and captain Marquinhos among those absent at an empty Parc des Princes.

Yet, regardless of that, the performance will do little to ease concerns that have been growing since they succeeded in beating RB Leipzig in midweek despite a disjointed display.

“We know how important Wednesday’s match is. It’s decisive. We didn’t play well (against Leipzig) but we won. On Wednesday we will try to play our best game. We need to play more as a team and be better organised, otherwise it will be difficult,” Neymar added.

A failure to beat United at Old Trafford could leave last season’s Champions League runners-up staring at a group-stage exit from the competition for the first time in the Qatar era.

Earlier, Marseille put their humiliating losing run in the Champions League to one side as they beat Nantes 3-1.

Florian Thauvin and Dimitri Payet scored before Dario Benedetto made it three from a penalty. Ludovic Blas pulled a goal back for Nantes.

It was a fourth straight Ligue 1 victory for Marseille, moving them up to third.

Andre Villas-Boas’ team suffered a Champions League record 13th straight defeat in the competition in midweek when they lost 2-0 at home to Porto.