Paris Saint-Germain came within three minutes of suffering a shock defeat on Saturday before an Alex equaliser earned them a 1-1 draw away to Guingamp in Ligue 1.
The Brazilian’s 87th-minute header cancelled out Mustapha Yatabare’s effort at the other end with six minutes remaining of a hard-fought encounter played in wet and windy conditions in Brittany.
The draw is enough for the defending champions to extend their lead at the top of the table to six points, although second-placed Monaco can trim the gap back to three with a win against Marseille on Sunday.
PSG had endured a mixed week, thumping Nantes 5-0 in Ligue 1 before being surprisingly eliminated from the Coupe de France by Montpellier.
At the Stade du Roudourou, coach Laurent Blanc was without injured captain Thiago Silva, so Marquinhos lined up in central defence, while there was a first start in Ligue 1 since the beginning of December for Javier Pastore.
And against opponents who had not won in six league games and had scored just three times since the start of November, PSG for once struggled to stamp their authority on proceedings.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a shot from 40 yards turned around the post by Guy Roland Ndy Assembe with the visitors’ best chance of the first half, but that came just two minutes before the interval.
Guingamp were a greater threat at the other end, with the 21-year-old Rachid Alioui taking advantage of a rare start to volley just wide early on and then send in a long-range free-kick that moved in the air and was turned desperately onto the crossbar by PSG keeper Salvatore Sirigu.
Edinson Cavani had an effort correctly ruled out for offside at the start of the second half, and the game looked set to peter out to a goalless draw on a difficult pitch.
However, the home side had other ideas and took the lead in the 84th minute when striker Yatabare stole a yard on Marquinhos to head in from a right-wing corner.
It was the Malian striker’s sixth league goal of the campaign, and his first since early October, and it sparked wild scenes of celebration among the packed crowd inside a stadium which boasts a capacity greater than that of the small town of Guingamp itself.
However, the giants from the capital were rescued soon after when centre-back Alex got to a corner before Ndy Assembe to head home and restore parity.
“It is always difficult to win games. We came here to win even if we had a lot of respect for Guingamp,” said Blanc.
“It is disappointing but I am still satisfied that we never gave up and came back to get a deserved point.
“We were not as good today. Why? I don’t want to hide behind it but the state of the pitch was deplorable. It is the case for both sides but it handicaps the team that plays the most football.
“We knew it would be difficult and we have to get on with it. It maybe won’t be the last time either, but we were not exactly helped.”
Monaco will now look to close the gap without the services of top scorer Radamel Falcao, who underwent knee surgery on Saturday after suffering a serious injury in a Coupe win at Chasselay in midweek.
Third-placed Lille could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to Rennes on Friday despite Salomon Kalou giving them the lead, and they have now gone four games without a win.
Saint-Etienne can move to within a point of the podium with a win at Bordeaux on Sunday, while in-form Lyon are also in action on Sunday against Evian.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Ajaccio and Sochaux remain cut adrift at the foot of the table after drawing 1-1 in Corsica, Vincent Nogueira scoring at the death to earn the visitors a point.
Valenciennes remain in the drop zone after coming from behind to draw 1-1 with Lorient, but Montpellier continued their climb up the table by beating Nice 3-1.
Nantes and Reims drew 0-0, while the meeting between Toulouse and Bastia fell victim to the weather.
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Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
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Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Score
Third Test, Day 1
New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
