PSG second-string stutter to Montpellier stalemate

PARIS (Reuters) - Paris St Germain fielded a second-string side and were held 0-0 at home by Montpellier in Ligue 1 on Saturday as they restored a 23-point advantage at the top of the table.





PSG’s 36-game unbeaten run ended with a 2-1 loss at Olympique Lyonnais last weekend but Saturday's draw meant Laurent Blanc’s runaway leaders re-established their lead over second-place Monaco, who drew 2-2 at Caen on Friday.

PSG have 74 points from 29 games ahead of Monaco with 51, while Caen have 43 and Lyon 42 in the race for European places.

“I hope we’ve saved the goals for next week,” Blanc told reporters. “I prefer this scenario than to win with injuries."

Blanc opted to rotate his players for the visit of 14th-placed Montpellier, with an eye on Wednesday’s Champions League last 16 second-leg at Chelsea, which PSG lead 2-1.

Despite the changes, PSG looked sharp in the early stages, with Edinson Cavani hitting the woodwork in the third minute after stand-in captain Maxwell’s fine cross before forcing Laurent Pionnier into an excellent save moments later.

Angel Di Maria was lively on his return after two weeks out with a thigh injury and went close in the 25th minute when he attempted to score direct from a corner.

Blanc introduced Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Javier Pastore in the 61st minute as he sought a 24th Ligue 1 win this season but Montpellier held on for a point, ensuring PSG went two league games without a win for the first time since mid-September.

“We had our chances and we didn’t take them,” Blanc added, “but I hope we have a great match on Wednesday.”





(Writing by Ed Dove in Strasbourg; Editing by Ken Ferris)


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