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Depay nets stunning winner as OL down PSG

Depay nets stunning winner as OL down PSG

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Publish on 01/21 at 00:00 - S. WILLIS

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Memphis Depay scored an incredible stoppage-time winner for Olympique Lyonnais as they beat ten-man Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 at Parc OL.

 Olympique Lyonnais 2-1 Paris Saint-Germain

THE MATCH

A high-quality dramatic encounter was settled at the last by the Dutch international's ninth goal of the season as OL inflicted only the leaders' second league loss of the season. Earlier we had seen wonder goals from Nabil Fekir and Layvin Kurzawa, Kylian Mbappé stretchered off injured and Dani Alves shown a red card.

Fekir and OL made a stunning start, scoring in the second minute. 36 metres out from goal and standing over a free-kick he'd won himself, the OL captain spotted Alphonse Areola off his line anticipating a cross and curled in a stupendous free-kick that brushed the post on its way into the back of the net. The goal took Fekir onto 16 in the league this season and meant he'd scored in five straight Ligue 1 Conforama games - a career first.

PSG, without the injured Neymar, got on top and Anthony Lopes made a comfortable save from an Edinson Cavani header before a far more difficult one to prevent Jérémy Morel scoring an own goal with a diving header. The OL defender had netted an own goal when OL fell 2-0 at the Parc des Princes earlier in the season.

Mbappé's night finished on the half-hour. Already bleeding after a clash of heads with Houssem Aouar, Mbappé chased a Marco Verratti pass over the top. Lopes reached the ball first and followed through into Mbappé who was stretchered to the dressing room. Later reports were reassuring as to the 19-year-old's health.

Mbappé's injury meant four minutes of added time at the end of the half and PSG took full advantage as in the last of them Dani Alves crossed from the right and the unmarked Kurzawa crashed home a wonderful left-footed volley.

PSG were reduced to ten men 12 minutes into the second half when Dani Alves got up in referee Clément Turpin's face after fouling Tanguy Ndombele. Soon afterwards Unai Emery restored a back four by withdrawing the in-form Angel Di Maria and replacing him with Thomas Meunier.

Mariano Diaz had been quiet until outpacing Thiago Silva in the inside right position and unleashing a near-post shot that Areola got down well to. Rafael went close to scoring what would have been a fortuitous header on 78 minutes as Areola spilled the ball onto him.

The goalkeeper's next meaningful involvement was a sure stop from a Maxwel Cornet attempt but there was nothing he could do when substitute Depay smashed in an unstoppable effort from outside the box with seconds to play after cutting inside Giovani Lo Celso. OL finished Week 22 in second place and reduced the gap between them and PSG to eight points.

THE PLAYER: Nabil Fekir

Up to 16 league goals for the season, the Lyon captain is enjoying the season of his life. He has scored seven of the last 10 goals OL have managed at home and in this sort of form Didier Deschamps will find it impossible to leave him out of France's World Cup squad. Fekir also supplied the pass to Depay for his team-mate's last-gasp heroics.

THE STAT: 3

Nabil Fekir has scored three direct free-kicks this season, more than any other player in the five major European leagues.

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