PARIS Saint-Germain were held to a 1-1 draw at Nantes in a rearranged Ligue 1 game on Tuesday, a result which maintains their unbeaten domestic record this season with the Champions League semi-final against Arsenal on the horizon.
It looked like Vitinha’s first-half strike might be enough for PSG, who have already secured a fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title, to leave the Stade de la Beaujoire with the victory.
However, Nantes hit back to equalise with six minutes remaining through their Brazilian midfielder Douglas Augusto, earning the hosts a precious point in their battle for survival.
PSG might still have won the game at the death, but a header by substitute Goncalo Ramos from a Desire Doue cross came back off the crossbar.
Nevertheless, the draw means they have still not lost a game against domestic opposition since May last year, and leaves them just four Ligue 1 matches away from becoming the first team ever to complete a French top-flight campaign without losing.
The closest a team has ever come to doing that remains Nantes, who went undefeated through their first 32 matches before suffering their only loss on the way to becoming champions in 1994/95.
Historic away run
The result also allowed Paris to extend their run without losing away from home in Ligue 1 to 39 matches since February 2023 — AC Milan’s run of 38 away games unbeaten in Serie A between 1991 and 1993 was previously the record in Europe’s leading leagues.
“Today is a special day for us, beating AC Milan’s record. I congratulate my players for that,“ said PSG coach Luis Enrique.
He saw Vitinha fire in first-time on the half-volley just inside the penalty box for the opener shortly after the half-hour mark.
Joao Neves was denied by Patrik Carlgren as the visitors threatened to increase their lead before the interval, but PSG did not create a huge number of chances despite controlling possession throughout.
Nantes might have equalised sooner, with Jean-Charles Castelletto’s low shot destined for the far corner only being kept out by a fine Gianluigi Donnarumma save.
Douglas Augusto then fired in the late leveller after a lung-bursting run from Matthis Abline, bringing the home fans in the crowd of over 34,000 to their feet.
Nantes are now four points clear of the relegation zone with four games to play, and three of their remaining matches will be at home.
“I am proud because I didn’t expect such a performance from my players. We didn’t just defend well but we also played good football and created chances,“ said Nantes coach Antoine Kombouare.
“We never let our heads go down. It is a really well-deserved point,“ added Kombouare, who described PSG’s unbeaten away record as “monstrous”.
This encounter was initially due to be played on the weekend of April 12 and 13 before being postponed to give PSG a rest in between the two legs of their Champions League quarter-final against Aston Villa.
They play Arsenal away in the first leg of their semi-final next Tuesday, but must first entertain Nice in another Ligue 1 game on Friday.
Coach Luis Enrique is likely to once again heavily rotate his team for that match, having notably left out Achraf Hakimi altogether here and used the likes of Bradley Barcola and Doue from the bench.
