PSG held to goalless draw at Monaco

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10 months ago

Kylian Mbappe, who has been linked with a summer transfer to Real Madrid, was substituted in the second game in a row.

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MONACO, March 1 (Reuters) – Ligue 1 leaders Paris St Germain and AS Monaco played out a 0-0 draw at Stade Louis II on Friday, as Luis Enrique’s side extended their unbeaten league run to 19 games.

PSG moved to 55 points, 12 clear of second-placed Brest, who host Le Havre on Sunday. Monaco, still winless at home this year, remain third with 42 points.

Despite the visitors dominating possession, Monaco came closest to opening the scoring during the first half, with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma keeping the hosts at bay.

PSG looked more dangerous in the second half, despite forward Kylian Mbappe having been substituted at halftime, but Bradley Barcola and Vitinha could not find a way past keeper Radoslaw Majecki.

“We had chances but we played better in the second half, we played the ball better than we did in the first but the draw is rather logical,” coach Luis Enrique told Prime Video.

“Sooner or later we’ll have to get used to playing without Kylian. I have to make the best decisions for the team,” the Spaniard when asked about taking off Mbappe, who is set to leave the club in the close season

PSG next play at Real Sociedad in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday, where they hold a 2-0 lead.

“I don’t have any personal feelings, I played a good game. It’s not easy here and we wanted to win, but Monaco are a great team,” Donnarumma said. “We played a good game despite everything. The team had a good attitude and now we’re ready for Real Sociedad.”

It was the second game in a row that Kylian Mbappe, who has been linked with a summer transfer to Real Madrid, was substituted.

Paris Saint-Germain moved 12 points clear at the top of the French league after drawing 0-0 at Monaco on Friday. The visitor was on the back foot for much of the first half, and PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma had to thwart a handful of good chances by Monaco.

PSG withdrew star striker Kylian Mbappé at halftime and improved in the second period as Monaco’s Radoslaw Majecki became the busier of the two goalies.

It was the second game in a row that Mbappé, who has been linked with a summer transfer to Real Madrid, was substituted. It was also only the second time since September that PSG has failed to score.

However, neither side could break the deadlock, so PSG moved 12 points ahead of Brest and 13 clear of Monaco. It was PSG’s 19th league game without defeat as it seeks a third successive Ligue 1 title.

PSG were held to a 0-0 draw against Monaco on Friday and also moved 12 points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table. The match had its share of controversy, as star striker Kylian Mbappe was substituted by manager Luis Enrique at half-time.

It turned out to be a good decision as PSG began to dominate in the second half, a stark contrast to their first-half display where they had to rely on the saves of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

It was the second consecutive match that Enrique has substituted Mbappe, as the 2018 World Cup winner is reportedly closing in on a deal with Real Madrid.

After getting subbed off, Mbappe had a stirring response to the situation, which perfectly summed up his mood in Paris. The Frenchman greeted Monaco fans, the club where his career began, and then went to a VIP box to sit with his family.

Bayern Munich have now failed to win away from home in four matches dating back to January in both the Bundesliga and Champions League.

Bayern Munich was held to a 2-2 draw at Freiburg on Friday, an 87th-minute equalizer from Lucas Hoeler giving leaders Bayer Leverkusen a chance to go 10 points clear. Mathys Tel’s 35th-minute stunner had cancelled out an impressive opener from Freiburg captain Christian Guenter before Jamal Musiala’s spectacular solo effort looked to have snared the three points for Bayern.

Hoeler however had other ideas, chipping a volley through a crowded Bayern penalty area and past a helpless Manuel Neuer. Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel criticized his players’ “body language and lack of bite” in the first half an hour, telling DAZN “We played completely without structure and had no discipline and weren’t in our positions.”

Calling his side “panicky”, Tuchel said: “We did things that we’ve never trained, never spoken about.

“We played like it was the 85th minute and we were a goal down.”

Musiala told DAZN he felt “frustrated”.

“Since I’ve been at Bayern it’s been in my head that we must win and we hate to lose. We want to win the Bundesliga, we want to win titles,” he said.

Bayern have now failed to win away from home in four matches dating back to January in both the Bundesliga and Champions League. Tuchel’s side face Lazio at home in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday, staring down an early exit with a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Rome.