Mbappe Misses Penalty, Comes off Injured in PSG Win

PSG's Kylian Mbappe reacts after missing a chance during the French League One soccer match between Montpellier and Paris Saint-Germain at the State La Mosson stadium in Montpellier, France, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
PSG's Kylian Mbappe reacts after missing a chance during the French League One soccer match between Montpellier and Paris Saint-Germain at the State La Mosson stadium in Montpellier, France, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
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Mbappe Misses Penalty, Comes off Injured in PSG Win

PSG's Kylian Mbappe reacts after missing a chance during the French League One soccer match between Montpellier and Paris Saint-Germain at the State La Mosson stadium in Montpellier, France, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
PSG's Kylian Mbappe reacts after missing a chance during the French League One soccer match between Montpellier and Paris Saint-Germain at the State La Mosson stadium in Montpellier, France, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Paris Saint-Germain extended their lead at the top of Ligue 1 with a 3-1 win at Montpellier on Wednesday but their evening was overshadowed by an injury to Kylian Mbappe, who had earlier missed a penalty.

The France superstar had an eighth-minute spot-kick saved by Montpellier's Benjamin Lecomte and then remarkably saw his second attempt turned onto the post by the goalkeeper after the referee ordered a retake, AFP said.

Mbappe then limped off with what looked like a hamstring injury midway through the first half, raising the alarm for PSG with the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich now less than two weeks away.

Speaking after the game, coach Christophe Galtier suggested the injury was down to a knock rather than a muscle problem.

"He took a knock to the back of the knee or the back of the thigh, so we'll see," said Galtier.

"I'm not too worried," he added. "It's a bruise or a contusion, we don't know yet.

"With the run of matches we don't want to take risks with a very busy fixture list, but it doesn't appear that serious."

PSG host Bayern in Paris on February 14, with the second leg in Germany on March 8. They are desperate to avoid a repeat of last season when they were knocked out at the same stage of the Champions League by Real Madrid.

After winning just one of their last four league games, Wednesday's awkward trip for PSG saw them also lose Sergio Ramos to injury and have two goals disallowed before Fabian Ruiz put them ahead 10 minutes into the second half.

- Messi on target -
Ruiz then set up Lionel Messi to make it 2-0 with a deft finish in the 72nd minute, the Argentine scoring his 14th club goal of the season.

Sixteen-year-old midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery made sure of the win in stoppage time after Arnaud Nordin -- a friend of Mbappe's from their time together at France's national training academy -- had pulled one back.

PSG, who were without the rested Neymar, extended their lead at the top of the table from three to five points after Lens lost 1-0 at home to Nice.

"It was a good performance in general," Galtier said.

"There was an incredible scenario in the first half with the retaken penalty, we hit the post, had goals disallowed and two injuries because Sergio Ramos was involved in a collision and on falling he hurt his adductor, but apparently it is nothing serious."

The win for PSG came after a frustrating end to the January transfer window on Tuesday as they failed to process the paperwork to complete the loan signing of Hakim Ziyech from Chelsea after the Moroccan winger had passed a medical.

Gaetan Laborde scored the only goal of the game for Nice as Lens dropped points at home for the first time this season after winning all 10 previous matches there.

Marseille climbed above Lens into second place thanks to a 2-0 victory at Nantes earlier, secured by an own goal from Joao Victor and then a late strike by Azzedine Ounahi, the Moroccan World Cup star making his debut after signing in the January window.

Monaco in fourth beat Auxerre 3-2, while fifth-placed Rennes eased to a 3-0 win against struggling Strasbourg.

On-loan Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun followed up his last-gasp equalizer against PSG at the weekend by netting a hat-trick as Reims came from two goals down to beat Lorient 4-2 and extend their unbeaten run to 15 games.

Bottom side Angers suffered a new French top-flight record 13th consecutive defeat as they conceded in stoppage time to lose 2-1 at home to Ajaccio.

That result leaves them 11 points from safety.



Five Things to Watch as F1 Returns for Dutch Grand Prix

Can McLaren and Lando Norris keep ahead of Red Bull? JOHN THYS / AFP
Can McLaren and Lando Norris keep ahead of Red Bull? JOHN THYS / AFP
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Five Things to Watch as F1 Returns for Dutch Grand Prix

Can McLaren and Lando Norris keep ahead of Red Bull? JOHN THYS / AFP
Can McLaren and Lando Norris keep ahead of Red Bull? JOHN THYS / AFP

After a month off for the summer break, Formula One is back as fans, drivers, and teams descend on the seaside resort of Zandvoort for Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix.
With 10 races to go, the championship is finely poised with Max Verstappen looking nervously over his shoulder at the chasing pack and competitors lining up to dethrone his Red Bull team from the constructors' crown.
AFP Sport takes a look at five talking points in the paddock ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.
Back to the Max?
The biggest question is whether home favorite Verstappen can re-establish his dominance in front of his adoring Orange Army of fans.
The three-time champion has been unstoppable in recent years and cruised to last season's title with a staggering 19 Grand Prix victories.
The 26-year-old Dutchman has also been untouchable on his home track since Zandvoort returned to the Grand Prix circuit, winning in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Following last season's procession, Verstappen looked to be picking up where he left off, winning seven out of the first 10 races for a healthy championship lead.
But he hasn't taken the checkered flag since Spain in June, a "lean spell" of four races he hasn't experienced since 2020.
He still enjoys a 78-point lead over his nearest rival, Lando Norris from McLaren, but he will be keen to reassert himself to quash any pretenders to his crown.
Verstappen himself appeared relaxed about it, telling the team podcast before the break: "I honestly don't care about the records – when I'm sitting on the beach drinking gin and tonic I don't care about that, so I'll be fine!"
McLaren resurgence
The main pretender to that crowd, 24-year-old British driver Norris, is enjoying a breakthrough year in a car that is much more competitive this season.
Norris secured a long-awaited maiden Grand Prix victory in Miami, holding off Verstappen and finally burying the cruel online nickname of "Lando NoWins."
The McLaren renaissance reached new heights with a first Grand Prix win for Oscar Piastri in Hungary in July, with the team securing a 1-2 on the podium for the first time since 2021.
Perez woes
The constructor's championship is even tighter than the drivers' race, Red Bull sitting just 42 points ahead of McLaren, with Ferrari only 21 points further back in third.
Much of this is down to a disappointing season from Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, who has suffered a dramatic loss of form.
Since the Miami Grand Prix in early May, he has registered no higher than eighth, twice failing to finish and trailing in 17th at Silverstone in July.
In the uncompromising world of Formula One, this has inevitably led to speculation over whether he can retain his seat.
Red Bull have publicly stated their support for the Mexican but Perez will want a podium place at Zandvoort to impress famously ruthless team principal Christian Horner.
"I know what we can extract from the car in the coming weeks and we will do our best to maximize the second half of 2024," said Perez before the race.
'Musical seats'
Perez's position is not the only question mark heading into the Dutch Grand Prix as the mercato rumor mill goes into overdrive.
Since seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton announced a surprise switch to Ferrari for next season, speculation over his Mercedes spot has been at fever pitch.
Team principal Toto Wolff has promised an announcement "in the summer" and would love to bring Verstappen himself to the Silver Arrows.
At just 17, junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been mentioned as a possible candidate to join George Russell but Wolff suggested he might still be too young.
Carlos Sainz, who will be replaced by Hamilton at Ferrari, announced last month he would sign for Williams amid what he said was an "exceptionally complex" drivers' market.
Orange by the sea
Regardless of Verstappen's race fortunes, expect the traditional "sea of orange" from his fanatical Dutch fans at the Zandvoort track, a stone's throw from the beach.
Like the famous Silverstone, the track was opened in 1948 and welcomed its first Grand Prix in 1952 with races periodically staged there until 1985 when it was shelved.
Zandvoort enjoyed a triumphant comeback in 2021, undulating through the Dutch dunes along its 4.2 kilometers (2.6 miles) circuit length.
The drivers will complete 72 laps in around two hours. A sudden downpour stopped last year's race and while Sunday's forecast is set fair, unpredictable Dutch seaside weather could yet play a role.