Referee kicks Nantes player in PSG win
paris — Angel Di Maria scored the only goal as Paris Saint-Germain claimed a controversial 1-0 Ligue 1 win at Nantes on Sunday that was marred by a bizarre late sending off.
There was drama in added time as Nantes centre-back Diego Carlos was sent off by Tony Chapron for appearing to accidentally trip up the referee, with the official responding by kicking out at the Brazilian and brandishing a second yellow card. Players told French television after the game that Chapron claimed he had slipped and not kicked Carlos on purpose, despite clear video evidence to the contrary.
Di Maria poked in a 12th-minute opener for the visitors, before producing a glaring miss later in the first half. Emiliano Sala thought he had headed in an equaliser for Nantes, but was incorrectly denied by the linesman’s flag.
Unai Emery’s visitors took full advantage of their good fortune, and draws for Monaco and Lyon earlier in the weekend, to move 11 points clear at the top of the table.
“It was different to lots of (our) matches,” said Emery. “This was a difficult team that put a lot of pressure on us. It’s true that in the second half they pushed more... But I think the win is deserved.” Claudio Ranieri’s Nantes stay fifth, eight points adrift of fourth-placed Marseille.
“We did not even score the goal to get a draw, but here there is no video, like in Italy,” bemoaned Ranieri. “Sala comes from behind and the goal was valid. But that’s football.”
World-record signing Neymar missed out for PSG with a rib problem but Edinson Cavani returned from injury, looking for the two goals he needed to break Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s club goalscoring record. —