Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
ACE IN THE PARC
Mauro plays trump Card as PSG show they won’t give up title without fight
PARIS ST 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 yesterday.
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 Ligue 1 on 69 points from 33 games, one behind leaders Lille who were held to a 1-1 draw by eighth-placed Montpellier on Friday.
PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino praised his team’s fighting spirit.
“The most important thing is to show character and never give up, always keep fighting and believing that you can get the three points,” he said.
“We are all very happy and it was a good performance. I think we deserved to win but we suffered and it was a very emotional finale.”
Looking weary from Tuesday’s 1-0 home defeat by Bayern Munich which sent them through to the Champions League semi-finals on away goals, PSG struggled and missed chances against a packed St Etienne defence.
Mbappe was off target three times and Pablo Sarabia hit the post with a free kick before the visitors punished the home side’s profligacy as Denis Bouanga (right) superbly steered in a Miguel Trauco cross from the left.
Mbappe equalised 30 seconds later with a deft finish from close range after controlling a lofted Ander Herrera pass and the France forward 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, however, as Romain Hamouma levelled with a tap-in after PSG keeper Sergio Rico failed to deal with Bouanga’s shot from the edge of the penalty area. I t 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.
Thirdplaced AS Monaco defeated Bordeaux 3-0, to stay within two points of the leaders.
Kevin Volland, Gelson Martins and Stevan Jovetic grabbed the goals for the side from the principality, who were always in control of this match and were helped when the home side’s Tom Lacoux was sent off for a second bookable offence in the second half.
Fourth placed Lyon moved to within three points of the summit with a 2-1 win at Nantes.
Memphis Depay opened the scoring in the fifth minute and doubled the visitor’s lead eight minutes before half-time.
Nantes defender Nicolas Pallois pulled one back on the hour but Lyon hung on to stay firmly in the title hunt.