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Football: Messi jeered as PSG suffer another home defeat

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Paris Saint Germain" s="" Lionel="" Messi="" and="" Thiago="" Mendes="" in="" action="" during="" the="" French="" Ligue="" soccer="" match="" between="" PSG="" Olympique="" Lyonnais="" at="" Parc="" des="" Princes="" stadium="" April="" Yoan="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/04/03/20230403-football-epa.jpg"/><figcaption>Paris Saint Germain&#x27;s Lionel Messi (L) and Lyon&#x27;s Thiago Mendes in action during the French Ligue 1 soccer match between PSG and Olympique Lyonnais at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, April 2, 2023. Yoan Valat, EPA-EFE.</figcaption></figure></div>PARIS, France -- Paris Saint-Germain suffered a second home defeat in a row Sunday, falling 1-0 to Lyon as their World Cup winning superstar Lionel Messi was jeered by a section of supporters.After losing 2-0 at home to Rennes two weeks ago, it was Lyon&#x27;s Bradley Barcola who inflicted the latest loss for PSG at the Parc des Princes.The goal by Barcola -- who had come on as replacement for injured Amin Sarr -- made up for a missed penalty by Alexandre Lacazette in the first half.It is the Parisians&#x27; fifth Ligue 1 loss this season, all of them in 2023, and leaves Christophe Galtier&#x27;s side just six points ahead of both second-placed Lens and Marseille in third.The night started in controversial circumstances.As the team line-ups were announced over the loudspeaker, whistling greeted Messi&#x27;s name in one part of the stadium.Fans in another area, however, shouted in response &quot;Messi&quot;.Messi, 35, is nearing the end of his two-year contract with the Paris club.Talks have begun on a possible renewal but he has also been linked with a return to Barcelona.In two seasons, the veteran has played 67 matches with PSG including Sunday&#x27;s game against ninth-placed Lyon and scored 29 goals.&quot;The whistles, I find that hard,&quot; said Galtier.&quot;Leo is a player who gives a lot and who has given a lot since the start of the season.&quot;He added: &quot;With a stroke of genius, Leo is able to deliver the right ball, to provide an assist, to score a goal. I never once thought about taking him off.&quot;PSG midfielder Danilo acknowledged the team had hit &quot;a difficult phase&quot; which they had to find a way out of, given their rivals were closing in.&quot;We have to wake up. The title is not guaranteed at all, there are still a lot of matches,&quot; he said on Prime Video.&quot;There are lot of things to change, not just the mindset, but it&#x27;s not up to me to say what.&quot;PSG have been severely hampered by injuries, with Neymar recovering from ankle surgery and their defense decimated.On Sunday, PSG called up 17-year-old central defender El Chadaille Bitshiabu but he was overawed, giving away the ball too often.Kylian Mbappe failed to pull off a repeat of his late scoring heroics as he had done in recent games against Strasbourg and Brest.&quot;We can&#x27;t expect everything from Leo and Kylian,&quot; said Galtier.&quot;It&#x27;s our eighth defeat in 2023, it&#x27;s far too many.&quot;Next up for PSG is a trip to Nice who are undefeated since January 2 before a crucial home clash with second-placed Lens.Lens will be hopeful of delivering a further blow to their Qatar-owned rivals whose season is threatening to implode after a Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich and a French Cup loss to bitter rivals Marseille.<div>- &#x27;Two faces of Monaco&#x27; -</div>Monaco kept up their push for a Champions League spot with a rollercoaster 4-3 home win over lowly Strasbourg.Monaco trailed 2-1 at the interval despite taking an 18th-minute lead through Vanderson.Lebo Mothiba and an own-goal by Chilean defender Guillermo Maripan gave Strasbourg the edge.Eliesse Ben Seghir and Edan Diop, both just 18 years old, and Youssouf Fofana then hit three goals inside an 11-minute spell in the second half to give Monaco a 4-2 lead.Habib Diallo&#x27;s stoppage-time strike was only a consolation for Strasbourg.Monaco have 57 points, just three behind third-placed Marseille who were held to a 1-1 draw by Montpellier on Friday.&quot;As I told the players, we saw two faces of Monaco tonight,&quot; said Monaco coach Philippe Clement.&quot;We started well and for 25 minutes, we were good. But then the aggressiveness fell away and Strasbourg came back and scored twice. At half-time, I was very angry. I didn&#x27;t recognise my team.&quot;© Agence France-Presse

Paris Saint-Germain suffered a second home defeat in a row Sunday, falling 1-0 to Lyon.