Ligue 1: Neymar misses penalty as Nantes stun leaders PSG, Lens and Lyon play intense draw
Feb 20, 2022
Paris [France], February 20 : Randal Kolo Muani, Quentin Merlin, and Ludovic Blas got the goals as FC Nantes stunned Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain with a thumping 3-1 win at the Stade de la Beaujoire on Saturday.
PSG lined up with a front three of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. for the first time since November, but it was Nantes who found their cutting edge, Kolo Muani poking home Moses Simon's pass after les Canaris had hit their visitors on the counter (4').
Nantes looked far from the team that began the day nine places and 24 points off PSG's league-setting pace. The hosts didn't have to wait long for their second, Merlin curling the ball into the far top corner to leave Navas with no chance (16').
Alban Lafont then pulled off a stunning reaction save to deny Neymar (28') before Dennis Appiah was spared a red card for a foul on Mbappe after VAR review (45'). There was still time for a Blas penalty (45'+6) and Nantes carried a 3-0 lead into the break.
Mauricio Pochettino was rewarded initially for his faith in Neymar as the Brazilian clawed one back soon after the restart (47'). Goalkeeper Lafont came huge in the match as he saved Neymar penalty which Mbappe had earned (59').
As the match progressed, PSG's offense was blunted by the hosts as Nantes held on for a famous win.
Elsewhere, RC Lens and Olympique Lyonnais remain locked together just outside of the European places after Jonathan Clauss and Tino Kadewere exchanged goals in a 1-1 draw.
Frustrated to draw, Lyon remain undefeated in 25v of their last 27 meetings with Lens in all competitions, and haven't lost to Saturday's opponents since August 2014, when Lalaina Nomenjanahary scored in a rare 1-0 win at the OL's old Stade de Gerland.
