Lionel Messi scored in a 1-1 draw at RC Strasbourg Alsace on Saturday as Paris Saint-Germain clinched the Ligue 1 Uber Eats title on Saturday to become French champions for the 11th time. RC Lens secured second place and a UEFA Champions League group-stage berth.
RC Strasbourg Alsace 1-1 Paris Saint-Germain
THE MATCH
PSG arrived at the Stade de la Meinau sitting six points clear at the top from RC Lens with just six points left to play for, so they knew a point in Alsace would finally confirm them as champions again.
Strasbourg also knew a point would guarantee their top-flight survival, but there appeared no prospect of them sitting back and simply playing for a draw. Their 20-goal top scorer Habib Diallo was a danger in the first half, missing the target after rounding Gianluigi Donnarumma and then being denied by the Italian goalkeeper before seeing another rasping drive come back off the post.
The visitors’ best chance in the first half came when Renato Sanches met a Messi corner and saw his effort beaten away by Matz Sels, but Paris went ahead just before the hour mark. Kylian Mbappé latched onto a long ball forward before picking out Messi, who took a touch before sending a shot across Sels and in for his 16th Ligue 1 goal of the campaign (59’).
Strasbourg fought back to equalise with 11 minutes left, however, as substitute Kévin Gameiro bundled in the rebound after Donnarumma had saved from Morgan Sanson. It was a 10th goal of the season for veteran striker Gameiro, who grew up a PSG fan and played for the capital side in their title-winning campaign in 2012-13.
Sels made a fine late stop at the feet of Mbappé before the two teams settled for a draw as PSG celebrated their ninth title in 11 seasons and Strasbourg toasted the prospect of top-flight football again in the next campaign.
THE PLAYER: Lionel Messi
It has been quite a season for Messi, with Argentina’s World Cup-winning captain scoring the goal that clinched the title for Paris. He has now scored 16 goals and set up 16 in the league this season. Not a bad return from the former Barcelona man, who is out of contract at the end of the campaign and not expected to renew.
THE STAT: 11
PSG are champions for the 11th time in their history. They have now gone past the previous record set by AS Saint-Etienne in 1981 and which they had equalled last season.
RC Lens started the day still in with a mathematical chance of pipping Paris to the championship, but a six-point deficit and a far inferior goal difference meant their focus was on securing second and a guaranteed Champions League group place for next season. They duly got the result they required as already-relegated AC Ajaccio were dispatched 3-0 at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
All the goals came in the first half, with Adrien Thomasson crossing for Deiver Machado to head in the opener and then scoring the second himself on 22 minutes. Loïs Openda then converted a penalty, his 20th goal of the season, to make it 3-0.
Amongst other games on Saturday, Alexandre Lacazette scored his 27th Ligue 1 Uber Eats goal this season as Olympique Lyonnais beat Stade de Reims 3-0. OL went ahead through a second-minute own-goal by Emmanuel Agbadou, and Lacazette smashed in the second in the ninth minute from Bradley Barcola’s assist.
Agbadou was sent off early in the second half, his yellow card for fouling Lacazette just outside the box upgraded to red after a VAR review. Maxence Caqueret’s late free-kick then evaded everyone on its way in to seal the victory. Lyon are just three points behind fifth-placed Stade Rennais FC with one game left but would need an unlikely goal difference swing on the last day as well as for results to go their way in order to qualify for Europe.
Clermont Foot 63 have had a superb season and secured a top-half finish with a 2-0 win over FC Lorient at the Stade Gabriel-Montpied. Saîf-Eddine Khaoui put the hosts ahead just before half-time, moments after Ibrahima Koné had a penalty saved at the other end. Maximiliano Caufriez made it 2-0 after the break.
Bottom club Angers SCO rescued some pride with a 2-1 win over ESTAC Troyes, who like their hosts had already been condemned to relegation before this weekend. Xavier Chavalerin gave Troyes an early lead, but Himad Abdelli scored a superb equaliser before the interval. Angers then secured a rare victory in the 90th minute through Lilian Rao-Lisoa.
