PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain salvaged a point with 10 men as they drew 0-0 at struggling Reims on Saturday but still increased their Ligue 1 lead after Marseille lost 2-1 at home to last-place Ajaccio.
Both PSG and Marseille rested starters with an eye on midweek Champions League games and their showdown next Sunday.
Marseille came a cropper, despite Dimitri Payet’s 100th Ligue 1 goal. PSG escaped with a draw, despite Sergio Ramos’ 28th career red card.
PSG coach Christophe Galtier made five changes from the team that drew 1-1 away to Benfica in midweek and his side spent much of the first 40 minutes on the back foot.
Reims pressed but struggled to create clear-cut chances while PSG were dangerous on the counter-attack.
Yehvann Diouf flew to his right to save a drive by Fabian Ruiz and then blocked a powerful shot from Kylian Mbappe, when the only one of the three PSG superstar strikers to start, broke clear after 33 minutes.
Two minutes later, Marshall Munetsi spun in the PSG box but Gianluigi Donnarumma, the hero against Benfica in midweek, saved the low shot at full stretch.
Four minutes before half time, Ramos argued himself into two quick yellow cards as PSG mobbed referee Pierre Gaillouste to protest a free kick against Marco Verratti.
“I know Sergio Ramos well, I am not convinced that the insult that came out was in the direction of the referee. It is a training-grond insult that you hear a lot on the field in Spain. The referee took it personally and sent him off,” said Galtier
Reims, who had collected six red cards, comfortably the most in Ligue 1 this season, struggled to exploit their advantage.
Abner Zeneli drew a sharp save from Donnarumma at the start of the second half but then the home team ran
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Dimitri Payet
Eddie Howe
Bruno Guimaraes
Marco Verratti
Sergio Ramos
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Christophe Galtier
Fabian Ruiz