PARIS – Paris Saint-Germain moved provisionally up to second place in the French league on Friday after rallying to beat Lens 3-1 in a chaotic match which saw three players sent off.
PSG was again missing star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a heel injury and fell behind in the 10th minute when forward Adamo Coulibaly scored on a quick break.
Midfielder Yohan Cabaye equalized with his first PSG goal in the 28th and Brazilian defender Maxwell put coach Laurent Blanc’s side ahead in the 34th.
Then, Lens defender Jean-Philippe Gbamin was sent off as striker Edinson Cavani earned a penalty.
But after Cavani converted the spot kick, he too was red-carded after picking up two yellow cards in quick succession, and moments later Lens midfielder Jerome Le Moigne also got sent off.
PSG is one point above Bordeaux and four behind league leader Marseille.
Marseille bids for an eighth straight win when it faces Toulouse at home on Sunday, with striker Andre-Pierre Gignac in the best form of his career after scoring 10 goals in 10 games for club and country so far this season.
Ibrahimovic sat out for a fifth straight league game as he waits for a heel injury to clear up and Argentina winger Ezequiel Lavezz remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. Although Blanc said in his pre-match news conference that centre half Thiago Silva was available after more than two months out with a hamstring injury, the Brazilian did not make the squad.
Moments after goalkeeper Rudy Riou had kicked away Cavani’s shot, Lens scored.
Midfielder Lalaina Nomenjanahary got past right back Gregory van der Wiel and teed up Coulibaly on the left of the penalty area, and his shot deflected off Thiago Motta before going in.
PSG equalized when playmaker Javier Pastore did well to stop the ball going out of play and Maxwell crossed it to Cabaye, who beat Riou with a first-time shot. Maxwell then netted with a dipping shot after Riou had punched away a long ball from midfielder Marco Verratti.
Cavani dispatched a penalty after going down under what appeared very minimal contact from Gbamin.
But his joy was short-lived.
The first yellow was what appeared to be anti-sporting behaviour toward Lens fans as he celebrated his goal and he collected a second yellow for arguing with referee Nicolas Rainville in the 56th. Rainville then sent off Le Moigne two minutes later, as he collected a second yellow for shoving Cabaye.
In Saturday’s games, it is: Lorient vs. Saint-Etienne; Lille vs. Guingamp; Metz vs. Rennes; Monaco vs. Evian; Nantes vs. Reims, and Nice vs. Bastia.
In Sunday’s other games, xx-place Bordeaux hosts Caen and Lyon takes on Montpellier.
