PSG Fights Back to Hold Strasbourg in Six-Goal Thriller
Paris Saint-Germain staged a spirited second-half comeback to draw 3-3 against a resilient Strasbourg on Friday, preserving their narrow lead at the top of Ligue 1 despite a growing injury crisis.
Bradley Barcola fired PSG ahead early at the Parc des Princes, but Strasbourg overturned the deficit with a Joaquin Panichelli brace and a Diego Moreira strike that stunned the home crowd.
Gonçalo Ramos’ penalty and Senny Mayulu’s late equaliser rescued a point for Luis Enrique’s side, averting what could have been their second domestic defeat this season.
“Strasbourg are without any doubt one of the best teams in Ligue 1, so we knew how difficult it was going to be,” Enrique said after the match.
The Spanish manager defended his decision to rest several key players who had just returned from international duty, including Achraf Hakimi and Vitinha, who remained on the bench. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was introduced only in the second half.
The result kept PSG one point clear of Strasbourg, though Marseille and Lyon could both leapfrog them with victories in their respective fixtures on Saturday.
“Our objective is to be in a position to win every competition, but that will be very difficult,” Enrique admitted. “We still need to get three or four important players back, but I think it was a good performance from those who played.”
PSG were again without Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, who continues to recover from a hamstring injury sustained on international duty.
Captain Marquinhos, along with midfielders Fabián Ruiz and João Neves, also remained sidelined. Desire Doué, however, made his return after six weeks out and played a pivotal role in PSG’s fightback.
Doué assisted Barcola’s opener in the sixth minute and later won the penalty that allowed Ramos to pull one back. Strasbourg equalised midway through the first half when Guela Doué, Desire’s older brother, sent in a perfect cross for Panichelli to head home.
Moments before halftime, Valentin Barco’s precise pass released Moreira, who calmly finished past Lucas Chevalier to give Strasbourg a 2-1 lead. Moreira then turned provider after the break, setting up Panichelli’s second goal, his seventh in just eight Ligue 1 games, to make it 3-1.
Refusing to fold, PSG rallied. Ramos converted from the spot after Mike Penders brought down Doué, and Lee Kang-in rattled the post before setting up Mayulu’s 79th-minute equaliser. The 19-year-old initially saw his shot parried but reacted quickly to nod in the rebound.
PSG now shift their focus to the Champions League, where they travel to Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday, having already beaten Atalanta and Barcelona this season.
Strasbourg, managed by Englishman Liam Rosenior, will face Jagiellonia Bialystok of Poland in the UEFA Conference League next week.
“I just wanted us to walk off tonight and be proud of who we are, and we certainly did that,” Rosenior said. “We were playing against the best team in the morning world, full stop. I think they are a credit to this league, and this game was a credit to French football.”
Elsewhere, Monaco visit Angers on Saturday in what will be new Belgian coach Sebastien Pocognoli’s first game in charge of the principality side.
