Marquinhos rescues PSG with stoppage-time equaliser at Lille
Paris Saint-Germain scored twice in stoppage time to draw 2-2 at Lille on Friday, extending their winless start to the Ligue 1 season. Hakon Arnar Haraldsson put the hosts ahead in the 21st minute, curling beyond Matvey Safonov after Olivier Giroud’s pass. Dilane Bakwa appeared to settle the contest with Lille’s second goal in the 84th minute, but Vitinha reduced the deficit with a curling effort in the first added minute. The Portugal midfielder then crossed for captain Marquinhos, who headed in four minutes later. Kick-off had been delayed by 15 minutes because of a ticketing problem.
The result gave Lille four points from their opening two matches and left PSG with two, after a second successive 2-2 draw following their comeback at Rennes last weekend. It was only the second time in the last 60 Ligue 1 seasons that a team had avoided defeat after trailing by two goals entering injury time. Luis Enrique described the resilience as PSG’s “hallmark”, while Marquinhos said, “It is never over against PSG.” The fightback preserved their unbeaten record, but the champions still need greater control after conceding two goals in each of their first two league fixtures.
PSG’s late response offered encouragement for Enrique, particularly with Vitinha contributing both a goal and an assist, but another slow start created unnecessary pressure. Lille’s new coach Davide Ancelotti had been close to a notable victory before the visitors’ final surge. The point kept PSG within reach of the early leaders, yet their opening results represented a modest return for a side pursuing a sixth consecutive Ligue 1 title. Their ability to recover twice from two-goal deficits showed character, although the repeated need for dramatic comebacks underlined the work still required defensively.
Yassine’s double completes Strasbourg comeback against Lens
Strasbourg recovered from an early deficit to beat Lens 2-1 on Saturday and give new coach Hugo Oliveira his first Ligue 1 victory. Florian Thauvin opened the scoring from the penalty spot 10 minutes before half-time, after Lens were awarded a spot-kick for Jeyland Mitchell’s foul on Abdallah Sima. The goal was Thauvin’s 100th in France’s top flight. Strasbourg responded less than three minutes into the second half, when 20-year-old Moroccan international Gessime Yassine scored his first goal for the club with a deflected effort after Sebastian Nanasi picked him out.
Yassine completed the turnaround in the 56th minute, scoring his second goal for Strasbourg after the hosts continued to apply pressure. Lens had begun the season with a 5-2 victory over Auxerre and were aiming to maintain a perfect start in all competitions, but their advantage at half-time disappeared after Strasbourg raised the tempo. The victory was an important response to Strasbourg’s opening-weekend 4-0 defeat at Marseille, giving the side their first three points of the campaign. Lens, meanwhile, remained on three points from two league matches.
The result gave Strasbourg an immediate lift under Oliveira and demonstrated the value of their young forward’s contribution after a difficult opening fixture. Yassine’s two goals changed a match that had appeared to be following Lens’s preferred course, while Thauvin’s landmark strike ultimately counted for little. Strasbourg’s recovery also prevented the Marseille defeat from setting the tone for their season. Lens had shown attacking promise in their opening win, but the reversal at La Meinau left them needing a response in their next fixture to avoid losing early momentum.
Lyon and Le Havre draw after two late VAR interventions
Olympique Lyonnais drew 1-1 with Le Havre on Saturday after a match shaped by late VAR decisions. Lyon dominated possession and created the better chances during a goalless first half, but had a Corentin Tolisso goal ruled out for offside following a review in the 62nd minute. Le Havre then took the lead in the 74th minute when Ally Samatta finished calmly after receiving a pass from substitute Fode Doucoure. Lyon levelled three minutes from time through Belgian forward Lois Openda, who struck during a late period of pressure from the home side.
The visitors thought they had won the match in stoppage time when Japanese playmaker Sota Nakamura found the net. VAR intervened again, however, ruling that there had been a handball during the build-up, and the goal was disallowed. Lyon therefore secured a point despite falling behind after controlling much of the match, while Le Havre left with a draw after being denied a potential late winner. The result added another layer of early-season uncertainty for Lyon, who were unable to turn territorial dominance into a second league victory.
For Le Havre, the performance showed both resistance and attacking threat away from home. Samatta’s finish had punished Lyon against the run of play, and Nakamura’s disallowed effort highlighted how close the visitors came to taking all three points. Lyon’s late response through Openda prevented a damaging defeat, but Tolisso’s disallowed goal and the subsequent handball decision ensured that the contest was ultimately settled by review rather than a decisive winner. Both sides left with one point from a tense encounter.