BSP-01 Neymar injury concern after Bordeaux end PSG’s flawless run

316

ZCZC

BSP-01

FBL-FRA-LIGUE1-PSG-NEYMAR

Neymar injury concern after Bordeaux end PSG’s flawless run

PARIS, Dec 3, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain are again sweating on
Neymar’s fitness on Sunday after the superstar attacker left the field at
Bordeaux clutching his groin before Andreas Cornelius’ late header ended the
French champions perfect start to the Ligue 1 season.

Brazilian Neymar was substituted 57 minutes into the hugely entertaining 2-
2 draw the Matmut Atlantique stadium, in which he had opened the scoring and
had looked in great form before having to head to the dressing room with what
looks to be an injury to the same adductor muscle that nearly stopped him
from scoring the decisive goal in Wednesday’s huge 2-1 win over Liverpool.

“I don’t know at all (what his injury is). We have to be careful, he said
it was not a problem to play tonight but the pitch was hard and I hope he
will be in good shape after Strasbourg,” said PSG coach Thomas Tuchel,
referring to his side’s must-win final Champions League group game at Red
Star Belgrade in nine days’ time.

The Ligue 1 leaders, who had won all 14 of their league matches going into
Sunday’s pulsating clash, had to wait until the last minute to see if Neymar
and strike partner Kylian Mbappe would be ready for the win over the Reds,
who now face an uphill battle for qualification to the Champions League last
16 thanks to Neymar’s first-half winner last week.

The pair twice put PSG in front on Sunday, but Jimmy Briand and Cornelius
ensured that Bordeaux became the first French team to stop the runaway
leaders this season.

However the result is unlikely to slow down PSG’s march to the title, as
they still stand 14 points ahead of nearest challengers Montpellier, who took
advantage of Lyon drawing 2-2 at Lille to sneak into second with a 2-1 win at
Thierry Henry’s struggling Monaco on Saturday.

PSG’s arch rivals Marseille failed to make the most of their fellow
Champions League chasers dropping points after a goalless draw at Reims on
Sunday. Rudi Garcia’s side stay fifth.

Meanwhile mid-table Toulouse drew 2-2 with with fellow relegation rivals
Dijon and Strasbourg routed Rennes 4-1.

– Bordeaux fight back –

Neymar’s opener for PSG came after a spell of concerted Bordeaux pressure
and at the end of a superb exchange with countryman Dani Alves, who on his
first start of the season flashed in a powerful cross that was crashed home
first-time by number 10.

His 11th league goal of the season took some time to be awarded however, as
the VAR dithered over whether Mbappe was offside and interfering with the
play as he flashed a leg at Neymar’s shot.

That goal looked to have broken Bordeaux, and Angel Di Maria, who had
fluffed a golden chance laid on for him by Neymar earlier in the half, then
struck the post in first-half stoppage time as the home side rocked under
pressure.

However the hosts fought back again after the break, and they got their
first reward when Briand slotted home a fine cross from the lively Yann
Karamoah.

Neymar was substituted shortly afterwards and Bordeaux smelled blood, but
Mbappe turned the match in PSG’s favour, latching on to Julian Draxler’s
through ball before crashing home what looked to be the winner and almost
immediately asking to be substituted with an apparent muscle problem.

Tuchel didn’t remove the 19-year-old however, and he was there to see
Cornelius meet Maxime Poundje’s cross with such force that PSG keeper
Alphonse Areola couldn’t stop his header from crossing the line and ending
PSG’s 100 percent start.

BSS/AFP/MSY/0909 hrs