PSG fail to take lead after drawing 1-1 at Lille

AP, Paris :

Paris Saint-Germain missed the chance to leapfrog Marseille and move into first place in the French league after drawing 1-1 at struggling Lille on Wednesday.
Uruguay forward Edinson Cavani put two-time defending champion PSG ahead in the 29th minute but a blunder from goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu gifted Lille an equalizer just before halftime.
Sirigu came to collect a corner and turned the ball into his own net. He strayed too far off his line, then let the ball slip under his body, and ended up kicking it over the line as he tried to make amends.
The draw means that PSG remains one point behind Marseille, which drew 1-1 at Lorient on Tuesday night.
Although PSG extended its unbeaten run to 22 games this season, coach Laurent Blanc acknowledged that it was yet another below-par performance, following Saturday’s drab 1-0 home win against Nice.
“We have mixed feelings because we came here to get three points and take first place. We didn’t manage to do it,” Blanc said. “We’re not happy with the result but Lille deserved to get a point. We still have a lot of room for improvement in terms of how we’re playing.”
Saint-Etienne moved up to third place with a 2-0 win at Montpellier, thanks to goals from defenders Florentin Pogba and Paul Baysse.
Rennes improved to fourth place after winning 2-1 at Nice, with goals from winger Paul-Georges Ntep and Danish midfielder Anders Konradsen.
PSG coach Laurent Blanc’s decision to rest star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic ahead of next week’s Champions League game away to Barcelona left PSG short on attacking options.
“We decided to rest him because he’s played three games in a row,” Blanc said. “I think he needed to rest before we tackle a run of five games (leading up to the winter break).”
Despite not winning any of its past 10 games and only one in the past 14, Lille started brightly and had PSG on the back foot.
Striker Divock Origi forced Sirigu into an early save and the Italian goalie tipped midfielder Florent Balmont’s shot onto the crossbar shortly after.
PSG hit back and took the lead when Brazilian winger Lucas broke through several tackles and released Ezequiel Lavezzi down the right, and his cross was turned in by Cavani for this seventh league goal of the season.
The teams were even in the second half, although Lucas went closest when his shot was pushed onto the bar by Nigeria goalie Vincent Enyeama. “I’m very happy with the attitude of my players. I think it was pretty even in terms of chances,” Lille coach Rene Girard said. “We tried to stand up to them with a lot of aggression and determination.”
Bordeaux dropped down to fifth place and behind Rennes on goal difference after drawing 0-0 at Metz.
Elsewhere, there were important wins for Evian and Guingamp.
Denmark midfielder Daniel Wass scored his seventh league goal of the season – and his second in the space of four days – to help Evian secure a 2-1 win at Corsican side Bastia. Forward Clarck Nsikulu got Evian’s other goal as it moved up to 13th place.
Guingamp routed Caen 5-1 to move one place out of the relegation zone as Caen dropped down into 18th spot.
Striker Christophe Mandanne and midfielder Claudio Beauvue scored two goals each and midfielder Thibault Giresse – the son of famed France midfielder Alain Giresse – got the other.
In Thursday’s only match, Lyon can reclaim third place from bitter rival Saint-Etienne if it beats Reims at home.