LENS: Paris St-Germain, without World Cup winner Lionel Messi and Neymar, lost for the first time in any competition since March 20 last year when they were defeated 3-1 at Lens on Sunday.

“Lens deserved their win,” said PSG coach Christophe Galtier.

Lois Openda scored one and set up another as Lens, who have only lost once in Ligue 1 this season.

The result means Galtier’s side are on 44 points from 17 games, four points ahead of Lens in second.

“We are happy to be four points behind,” said Lens coach Franck Haise.

“This victory proves that we can beat anyone in this championship.”

PSG’s last loss was more than nine months ago when they fell 3-0 at Monaco in Ligue 1, although that still left them 12 points clear at the top of the table.

Kylian Mbappe, the Golden Boot winner in Qatar, received a rousing welcome from the Lens fans as he warmed up.

Galtier said he hoped French fans would give Messi a similar reception.

“He’s going to join us on Jan 3, in 48 hours,” said Galtier. “I hope Leo will be well received. He won the most beautiful trophy by being very good.”

The hosts took an early lead after five minutes when a deflection from PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went to an unmarked Przemyslaw Frankowski, who volleyed the ball into the open net.

Hugo Ekitike equalised for PSG three minutes later when the striker reached a cross before Lens goalkeeper Brice Samba and tapped the ball in.

Lens striker Openda restored his side’s lead in the 28th minute when he got a through ball from Seko Fofana and ran into the box, where he beat defender Marquinhos before finishing into the lower-right corner of the goal.French forward Alexis Claude-Maurice made it three for Lens two minutes into the second half to seal the win.

The French league normally takes the holiday season off but with matches to make up following the World Cup, it played one round immediately after Christmas and another on Sunday and Monday.

They have dubbed the games ‘Celebration Week’, in English, as a nod to the English tradition of Boxing Day games, but many fans are suspicious or hostile.

Among protest banners unfurled by fans in an almost empty stand at Nantes, where the home team beat Auxerre 1-0, was one that complained that the league and broadcasters were “killing” them.

In Monaco, Aleksandr Golovin smashed in the only goal from outside the penalty area as the home team did just enough to beat Brest 1-0 and tighten their grip on fourth place.

Angers remain anchored to the bottom after suffering a ninth straight loss, falling 2-1 to visiting Lorient who broke their own run of six games without a victory.

The home team’s Moroccan World Cup stars Sofiane Boufal and Azzedine Ounahi, who have just returned from vacation and reportedly been promised lucrative transfers, were honoured before the match but did not appear.

Published in Dawn, january 3th, 2023