Ten-man PSG held as dogged Reims strike late

On-loan Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun ran through to score a remarkable 96th-minute equaliser as Reims held 10-man Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain to a 1-1 draw on Sunday.

It looked like Neymar’s strike early in the second half would be enough for PSG to take all three points despite substitute Marco Verratti being sent off shortly after that goal.

But an impressive Reims side got the draw they richly deserved when Balogun broke away to fire home right at the death.

The result sees the club coached by 30-year-old Belgian-born Englishman Will Still extend their unbeaten run to 14 games between league and cup.

They remain in mid-table but have now drawn with the Parisians twice this season, their collective strength allowing a team of hungry young players to hold their own against PSG’s superstars.

PSG have now dropped points in three of their four league games in 2023, and while they remain three points clear of Lens at the top of the table, their form is a concern with the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich now little over two weeks away.

“Overall we obviously can’t be satisfied with our performance. It is not a question of being worried but we need to get back to winning ways quickly and play much more as a team than we are at the moment,” coach Christophe Galtier told broadcaster Amazon Prime.