In a dramatic turn of events at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Paris Saint-Germain's captain Marquinhos headed in a last-gasp equalizer, rescuing a 2-2 draw for his team against Lille in Ligue 1. It seemed as though the reigning French and European champions were heading for a defeat, trailing 2-0 with regular time up. However, a Vitinha strike in the first added minute breathed new life into Luis Enrique's team, followed by Marquinhos' heroic header in the dying seconds.
Lille had taken an early lead through Hakon Haraldsson, who scored with a stunning first-time effort from the edge of the area, set up by a brilliant reverse pass from Olivier Giroud. The home side extended their lead when Dilane Bakwa, making his debut after joining on loan from Nottingham Forest, curled in a delightful strike with just six minutes left on the clock.
But PSG's resilience shone through in stoppage time. Vitinha's quick strike in the first added minute gave his team a glimmer of hope. The Portugal playmaker then delivered a precise cross for Marquinhos, who rose highest to head home the equalizer, much to the dismay of Lille and their new coach, Davide Ancelotti. It was a cruel blow for Lille, especially since Ancelotti had worked with Marquinhos as part of the Brazil staff at the recent World Cup.
Despite the late heroics, PSG remain without a victory at the start of this Ligue 1 season. However, this was the second successive game in which they had come from two goals behind late on to grab a share of the spoils. Last weekend, they trailed 2-0 away to Rennes before Ferran Torres, a new arrival from Barcelona, came off the bench and netted a brace to earn a point. 'It says a lot about us,' Marquinhos said. 'The positive thing is our mentality, and our ability to come back and get a result from behind. That augurs well for the rest of the season.'
PSG's late show denied Lille a second consecutive win under their new Italian coach, whose father Carlo Ancelotti—the current Brazil boss—watched from the stands. Despite the setback, Luis Enrique's side will take confidence from their remarkable comeback as they prepare for the upcoming defence of their Champions League title. 'At this point in the season it would be very dangerous to be at 100 percent already,' said the coach. The two-time reigning European champions will notably play Barcelona and Manchester City in the league phase of the Champions League.
