Mbappe and Icardi earn weary PSG vital victory

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 3 ST ETIENNE 2 Mbappe 79’ & pen 87’ Bouanga 77’ Icardi 90+5’ Hamouma 90+2’

Paris Saint-Germain stayed in the hunt for a fourth successive Ligue 1 title after Mauro Icardi scored in the dying seconds of stoppage time to secure a dramatic 3-2 home win over St Etienne.

Icardi headed home a cross from fellow substitute Angel Di Maria to cap a frantic climax after the visitors took a 78th-minute lead and then levelled in the first minute of added time after Kylian Mbappe had turned the game PSG’s way.

The result left PSG second in the standings on 69 points from 33 games, one behind leaders Lille who were held to a 1-1 draw by eighthplaced Montpellier.

PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino was without Neymar and central midfielders Leandro Paredes and Idrissa Gueye due to suspension. Centre-back Marquinhos had an adductor injury and goalkeeper Keylor Navas was resting a sore shoulder.

Looking weary from Tuesday’s defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals, PSG missed several chances against a packed St Etienne defence.

The visitors punished the home side’s profligacy as Denis Bouanga superbly steered in a Miguel Trauco cross from the left in the 77th minute. Mbappe equalised 30 seconds later with a deft finish from close range and fired PSG ahead with an 87th-minute penalty after he was brought down by goalkeeper Etienne Green.

The home side’s joy was short-lived as Romain Hamouma levelled with a tap-in from two metres after PSG keeper Sergio Rico failed to deal with Bouanga’s shot.

It looked like it was not going to be PSG’s day when Di Maria rattled the post with an inswinging corner but the Argentine curled in a cross from the right moments later for Icardi to head home.