Sergio Ramos was sent off for two bookings in a minute just before half time as Paris St-Germain played out a goalless draw at Reims.
Ramos tried to clip Marshall Munetsi’s legs before he was fouled by team-mate Marco Verrati and initially had a yellow card brandished towards him, before his arguments led to a red card.
Lionel Messi’s importance to the French champions was illustrated fully in his absence as few chances of note were created.
Both Kylian Mbappe, playing from the start, and Neymar – who came on for the last third of the game – had chances they would expect to score from, with the former shooting straight at Yehvann Diouf and latter side-footing wide, both from point blank range.
For much of the game Reims looked the better side and Gianluigi Donnarumma continued his good form to keep them at bay.
The result means Marseille and Monaco could move level on points with PSG if they win their games in hand. Reims move up to 12th with the point.
TALKING POINT
The ultimate gamer team – If a young kid manages a side in FIFA or other console game, they will invariably try to get the best forwards possible in their side with the rest of the side an after-thought. As good players as PSG have in the bottom eight positions on the park, there never looks a solidity or system in which players are performing. They are just talented players playing who look like they could have been thrown together in a testimonial for the amount of synergy they show. In a match without Lionel Messi and Neymar for the first hour this was laid bare. In modern times there really has not been an equivalent to this side who are built more akin to NBA teams (and usually only moderately successful ones). It may be impossible to win a Champions League with three forwards putting little effort into the game when the opposition has the ball, but it doesn’t feel PSG have tested this out fully.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Arber Zeneli (Reims) – The Swedish-born Kosovan international has been dogged by serious injuries in the majority of recent seasons, but now with a clear bill of health looks capable of testing his wares at a higher level. Whoever faced up to him on the right side of the PSG defence, be it Danilo Pereira, Fabian Ruiz or Nordi Mukiele, found him very difficult to handle and he could have netted the winner if not for a good stop from Donnarumma.
PLAYER RATINGS
Reims: Diouf 7; Flips 6, Gravillon 6, Agbadou 6, Abdelhamid 6, Locko 6; Lopy 6, Munetsi 7, Matusiwa 6; Zeneli 7*, Balogun 6.
Subs: Van Bergen 6, Doumbia, Mkuku 6.
PSG: Donnarumma 7; Danilo 6, Sergio Ramos 4, Marquinhos 6; Mukiele 6, Juan Bernat 6; Verratti 6, Fabián Ruiz 6; Carlos Soler 6, Pablo Sarabia 6, Mbappe 6.
Subs: Vitinha 6, Neymar 6, Hakimi 6.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
34′ GREAT SAVE FROM DIOUF! Mbappe was played through in the left hand side of the area, he opened his body up and you were just waiting for the net to bulge but Diouf spread himself and got a firm outstretched left hand to push away the striker’s shot.
42′ WOW! RAMOS IS SENT OFF! He got a booking for remonstrating over a foul from Verratti and then kept up the complaint and has been sent off.
44′ LOOKING AT THE INCIDENT AGAIN… It appears the first Ramos booking was for him trying to clip on Munetsi, prior to Verrati bringing him down.
53′ ZENELLI FIRES TOWARDS THE NEAR POST! He did superbly turning in from the left wing and shot truly inside the near corner but Donnarumma got a firm hand to the ball and pushed away.
68′ AWFUL MISS FROM NEYMAR! He was set up perfectly by Mbappe but, after running onto the ball in the box, he tamely side-footed wide when a goal looked certain.
