PARIS (AFP)
Paris Saint Germain thanked a double from new signing Zlatan
Ibrahimovic on Saturday - including a last-gasp penalty - as they
could only draw 2-2 at the Parc des Princes against lowly Lorient
in their opening French league match.
Much is expected from PSG after they invested more than 100
million euros - including 20 million in former AC Milan favourite
Ibrahimovic - in a bid to use a seemingly bottomless pit of cash
provided by their Qatari investors to propel themselves to a
first league title in 19 years.
But it was fortunate the Swedish striker came up trumps in the
second half after an early Maxwell own goal and a Jeremy Aladiere
effort on the stroke of half-time had put Lorient, who only just
avoided the drop last term, into a 2-0 lead at the break.
Thereafter, Carlo Ancelotti's hosts rallied and Ibrahimovic
quickly found his shooting boots - his first effort involved an
exquisite chest trap to reduce the arrears - to save a point.
PSG thus followed the nervy example of reigning champions
Montpellier, who fluffed their own opening day lines as they were
only able to manage a 1-1 draw at home to nine-man Toulouse.
Rene Girard's hosts lifted their first ever league title in May
but then lost their league top scorer Olivier Giroud to Arsenal
pre-season and the result was a relative lack of sharpness which
saw them pay the price of two dropped points.
Nigerian striker John Utaka sent Souleymane Camara clear for the
hosts in the 34th minute and he clipped home - but instead of
capitalising Montpellier found themselves pegged back 18 minutes
from time when Wissam Ben Yedder headed home from a cross by
Serge Aurier.
Toulouse were left hanging on grimly after they had Adrien
Regattin and Serge Aurier sent off late on.
Montpellier had themselves played for almost an hour a man short
after Tunisian star Jamel Saihi was red-carded for a foul on
Francois Sirieix six minutes before the break.
"It's a point - a bit of a shame to finish with ten men," said a
pensive Girard.
"It's a rather timid return (to league action)."
Elsewhere, Yoann Gourcuff was on target as Lyon won 1-0 at Rennes
while Bordeaux also won on their travels - 3-2 at modest Evian.
And 2011 champions Lille won 2-1 at former giants Saint Etienne
courtesy of goals from Aurelien Chedjou and Benoit Pedretti.
On Sunday, 1950s giants Reims, back in the top flight after 33
years, host Marseille.
