Ligue 1: Neymar inspires PSG late comeback

Neymar scored a stunning equaliser and then played a part in PSG’s next two goals as his side recovered strongly to beat Montpellier.
Neymar inspired a late Paris Saint-Germain comeback as the Ligue 1 leaders came from behind to defeat 10-man Montpellier 3-1 on Saturday.
PSG had lost on two of their previous three league trips to Stade de la Mosson, drawing the other, and looked set for another difficult outing following a poor first half that saw them lose two starters to injury prior to Leandro Paredes’ own goal.
Montpellier beat PSG in April with a late turnaround but this time it was the visitors’ turn to turn the tables in dramatic fashion.
Neymar won a set-piece that saw Pedro Mendes sent off and then sent the resulting 25-yard free-kick into the top-right corner with 16 minutes remaining.
Two minutes later, he set up Kylian Mbappe to finish impressively shortly before Mauro Icardi wrapped up the points to move PSG eight points clear of Marseille at the top.
There was an ugly end to the game, though, as PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas appeared to be hit by a bottle thrown from a section of the home supporters.
PSG lost Presnel Kimpembe and Idrissa Gueye to injury inside the opening 25 minutes. With Marquinhos, Marco Verratti and Ander Herrera already out, Abdou Diallo and 17-year-old debutant Nianzou Kouassi were the replacements.
Kouassi almost stretched to convert Neymar’s in-swinging free-kick moments after his arrival as Geronimo Rulli made a superb diving save.
But it was Montpellier who opened the scoring four minutes before half-time when Daniel Congre headed a left-wing corner in off the hand of Paredes, a deflection that deceived Navas.
The second half started slowly until Rulli charged off his line to deny Sarabia before Mendes was sent off, receiving a second yellow card for scything down an advancing Neymar.
Neymar stepped up and delivered a magnificent, curling strike from the resulting free-kick, finding the top-right corner.
He then found Mbappe in PSG’s next attack and the France striker cut inside from the left before arrowing a low finish into the far corner.
Neymar was rampant, hitting the woodwork with another free-kick, and he then combined with Mbappe, who produced a magnificent chip to set up Icardi with nine minutes left, the striker volleying in from eight yards.
PSG have now won four straight Ligue 1 games and eight of their past nine, but Thomas Tuchel has openly admitted their form has been poor in attaining those results.
It was no different in this game as PSG looked devoid of ideas and energy for 70 minutes until the brilliance of Neymar, and later Mbappe, got them out of trouble.
Like PSG, Neymar was struggling to get into the flow of the game, but over the last 20 minutes he was almost unplayable.
He won the free-kick that changed the game, then scored it in brilliant fashion before assisting another, playing a part in the third goal, hitting the woodwork with yet another free-kick and forcing a great save from Rulli all in that last period of the contest.
Mendes’ red card changed the game completely and he could have no arguments, surely rueing the fifth-minute yellow he had picked up for a foul on Juan Bernad.
PSG are at home to Galatasaray in the Champions League on Wednesday before travelling to play Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1 business next Sunday. Montpellier are away to Lille on Friday.