Angel Di Maria scored the only goal as Paris Saint-Germain claimed a controversial 1-0 Ligue 1 win at Nantes that was marred by a bizarre late sending off.<\/p>\n
There was drama in added time as Nantes centre-back Diego Carlos was sent off by Tony Chapron for appearing to accidentally trip up the referee, with the<\/p>\n
official responding by kicking out at the Brazilian and brandishing a second yellow card.<\/p>\n
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Players told French television after the game that Chapron claimed he had slipped and not kicked Carlos on purpose, despite clear video evidence to the<\/p>\n
contrary.Di Maria poked in a 12th-minute opener for the visitors, before producing a glaring miss later in the first half.<\/p>\n
Emiliano Sala thought he had headed in an equaliser for Nantes, but was incorrectly denied by the linesman\u2019s flag.<\/p>\n
Unai Emery\u2019s visitors took full advantage of their good fortune, and draws for Monaco and Lyon earlier in the weekend, to move 11 points clear at the top of the<\/p>\n
table.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was different to lots of (our) matches,\u201d said Emery.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThis was a difficult team that put a lot of pressure on us. It\u2019s true that in the second half they pushed more… But I think the win is deserved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claudio Ranieri\u2019s Nantes stay fifth, eight points adrift of fourth-placed Marseille.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did not even score the goal to get a draw, but here there is no video, like in Italy,\u201d bemoaned Ranieri.<\/p>\n
\u201cSala comes from behind and the goal was valid. But that\u2019s football.\u201d<\/p>\n
World-record signing Neymar missed out for PSG with a rib problem but Edinson Cavani returned from injury, looking for the two goals he needed to break<\/p>\n
Zlatan Ibrahimovic\u2019s club goalscoring record.<\/p>\n
Argentinian international Di Maria took advantage of Neymar\u2019s absence as he gave PSG the lead with his seventh goal of the season.<\/p>\n
The front three were all involved as Cavani played a pass into Kylian Mbappe, and the teenager let the ball run for Di Maria to divert past Nantes goalkeeper<\/p>\n
Ciprian Tatarusanu.<\/p>\n
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Di Maria should have doubled the advantage before half- time, but after meeting Adrien Rabiot\u2019s pass six yards out with an open goal to aim at, he contrived to<\/p>\n
hit the crossbar.<\/p>\n
Nantes continued to plug away and came close to a leveller early in the second period, but Sala was denied by a sprawling Alphonse Areola after latching onto a<\/p>\n
slack Layvin Kurzawa backpass.<\/p>\n
Sala effort ruled out<\/p>\n
PSG almost took full advantage as Mbappe led a rapid breakaway, with Di Maria again the guilty party as he sliced horribly wide from the winger\u2019s cutback.<\/p>\n
Ranieri\u2019s Canaries continued to trouble the runaway league leaders and Argentinian striker Sala glanced home a header from a free-kick, only to be flagged<\/p>\n
offside despite clearly being behind the last defender when the ball was played.<\/p>\n
The barely believable sending off in injury-time summed up a bitterly disappointing day for Nantes, with Chapron definitely the villain in the eyes of the home<\/p>\n
fans.<\/p>\n
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Earlier yesterday, Lyon failed to take second spot after being held to a 1-1 home draw by Angers, despite a goal from Nabil Fekir.<\/p>\n
Monaco\u2019s goalless draw at Montpellier on Saturday handed Lyon the chance to leapfrog the principality club.<\/p>\n
Karl Toko Ekambi gave the lowly visitors a shock 14- minute lead from the penalty spot, but the in-form Fekir dragged the hosts level shortly after half-time with<\/p>\n
his 14th league goal of the season.<\/p>\n
Bruno Genesio\u2019s men remain third, behind reigning champions Monaco on goal difference.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very disappointed, we had a bad start to the match and a difficult first half,\u201d said Fekir.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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