Paris Saint-Germain once again came agonizingly close to defeat. Five days after trailing 2-0 in Rennes before salvaging a draw, the two-time European champions repeated an almost unbelievable scenario this Friday evening in Lille. Dominated and down 2-0 until the 90th minute, PSG found the strength to equalize at 2-2 thanks to goals from Vitinha and then Marquinhos in stoppage time. Lille, who thought they had secured a prestigious victory after goals from Hákon Haraldsson and Dilane Bakwa, let two points slip away in the dying minutes.
Haraldsson rewards Lille's excellent start
In a packed Decathlon Arena, with 47,793 spectators, Lille quickly took control of the game. In the 7th minute, Ethan Mbappé broke down the wing and crossed for Olivier Giroud, whose close-range shot was saved by Matvey Safonov. LOSC continued to press forward and looked far more incisive than Paris. Their reward came in the 21st minute. Olivier Giroud perfectly set up Hákon Haraldsson, who unleashed a powerful shot to open the scoring. PSG tried to respond, notably through Fabian Ruiz, but Berke Özer was alert to the danger. Lille maintained their lead until halftime and could even have extended it before the break.
Paris pushes forward but can't find the weakness
Luis Enrique reacted immediately at halftime by bringing on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in place of Désiré Doué. PSG gradually took control of the Lille half and tried to increase the tempo, without managing to truly break down a well-organized Lille defense. Vitinha tried his luck several times from distance, Kvaratskhelia missed the target, and Lille held firm. The Dogues were now willing to sit back and looked to exploit the spaces left by the Parisians. Olivier Giroud even came close to making it 2-0 in the 71st minute, but his glancing header went over the bar.
Bakwa scores on his debut and thinks he's put Lille out of reach
Coming on in the 68th minute to replace Ethan Mbappé, Dilane Bakwa quickly made his mark in his first appearance for Lille. In the 84th minute, receiving the ball on the right wing, the former Strasbourg player cut inside and unleashed a superb curling left-footed shot that nestled into the top corner past Safonov. Lille were now leading 2-0. With just minutes remaining in regulation time, LOSC seemed to have done the hard part and were heading towards their second win in two matches after their 2-0 victory at Angers.
Vitinha revives everything in the 90th minute
But PSG refused to give up. In the 90th minute, Vitinha found the top corner with a left-footed strike, bringing Paris back to 2-1. A goal that completely transformed the end of the match. The Parisians then threw themselves into attack while Lille tried to protect their lead. The final minutes became breathless for Davide Ancelotti's men.
Marquinhos equalizes in stoppage time
The final blow for Lille came during one of PSG's last attacks. After a corner was taken short, Vitinha sent the ball to Marquinhos. The Parisian captain equalized in stoppage time, allowing PSG to snatch a 2-2 draw. In just a few minutes, Lille saw a victory that seemed certain slip away. Haraldsson had opened the scoring in the 21st minute, Bakwa had doubled the lead late in the game, but Vitinha and Marquinhos completely turned the match around.
Two comebacks from 0-2 down in two matchdays for PSG
The scenario is a direct echo of the opening day in Rennes. PSG had already fallen behind 2-0 before coming back to draw 2-2. A week later, the Parisians repeated the feat in Lille, but this time scoring both goals in the 90th minute. After two matchdays, Paris has two draws and two points. Lille, winners in Angers on the opening day, have four points. For Les Dogues, the result is particularly cruel after leading for almost 70 minutes and still holding a two-goal advantage going into the 90th minute. For Paris, this latest spectacular comeback avoids a first defeat in Ligue 1, but extends their winless start to the season.
