AFP, Paris :
Neymar scored from the penalty spot but Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)’s perfect start to the French campaign was ended in a 1-1 draw with Monaco on Sunday, while Alexis Sanchez scored his first goals for Marseille in a 3-0 win at Nice.
In Paris, Neymar rolled in his eighth goal in five matches this season from a penalty awarded when the VAR alerted the on-pitch referee to a foul on the Brazilian by Monaco defender Guillermo Maripan midway through the second half.
Monaco had taken the lead when Kevin Volland burst forward, holding off Presnel Kimpembe, before firing past Gianluigi Donnarumma 20 minutes in at the Parc des Princes.
The principality side played well, yet PSG deserved at least the draw from a game in which they hit the woodwork three times.
Nevertheless, the result does slightly puncture their momentum after a start to the season in which they had won their opening three league games, scoring 17 goals in the process.
They also beat Nantes 4-0 in the season-opening Champions Trophy but Monaco were easily the most accomplished side they had faced yet.
“We had difficulties in the first half against a European-level opponent but we deserved to win the game based on our second-half showing,” PSG coach Christophe Galtier told broadcaster Amazon Prime.
PSG have 10 points from four games and are top of Ligue 1, but only on goal difference from Lens and Marseille.
Volland silenced the home crowd when he ran through to fire Monaco in front, although that was to be his last involvement as he hurt himself while shooting.
PSG were denied an equaliser right on the stroke of half-time in remarkable fashion, as Lionel Messi smashed a long-range shot off the left-hand post, before Kylian Mbappe hit the opposite upright from the rebound.
