Star-studded Paris Saint-Germain slumped to a second defeat in a week as they lost their unbeaten French Ligue 1 record when lowly Guingamp beat them 1-0 on Sunday.
But the shock reverse was softened when league leaders Marseille, on 38 points, also lost 1-0 at AS Monaco in Sunday’s late game, leaving the champions second just a point adrift of the top and Lyon third on 36 points.
Victory would have made Marseille “Champions of Autumn”, league leaders going into the winter break, but Bernardo Silva’s precise shot from the edge of the area on 68 minutes handed Monaco a deserved win.
Fresh from securing their passage into the last 16 of the Champions League as group winners on Tuesday, Monaco’s disciplined display left the usually swashbuckling Marseille frustrated.
Rod Fanni missed a simple chance for the visitors with an open goal begging just before half-time, and Marseille’s star striker Andre-Pierre Gignac was kept quiet.
PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi had been furious as his side lost 3-1 in Barcelona on Wednesday.
But Sunday’s performance was far worse.
Jeremy Pied got Guingamp’s goal with a flying header on the edge of the six-yard box in the 11th minute with the Paris central defence of Thiago Silva and David Luiz nowhere to be seen.
“It was poor marking all round, even me I got it wrong,” said PSG midfielder Blaise Matuidi.
“We’re really upset. We’re just not used to losing and now that’s two in a week.”
Edinson Cavani had hit the crossbar in the second minute and Zlatan Ibrahimovic had the ball in the net in the 35th minute only to see an offside flag go up.
PSG had 10 wins and seven draws going into the game and, despite dominating, Guingamp’s bloody-minded resistance was eventually more than a match for PSG.
“This is not just a bad week, it’s a dreadful one,” said PSG coach Laurent Blanc.
“If we lose because the other side were good that’s one thing, but this we cannot tolerate.”
Lille, dumped out of the Europa League in midweek, picked up three welcome points with a 3-0 win over Toulouse, thanks to goals from Djibril Sibide, Ryan Mendes and Nolan Roux.
Earlier, Saint-Etienne coach Christophe Galtier was left with a bitter taste after a 0-0 stalemate with Nice saw his midfielder Ismael Diomande sent off for a second yellow after a clash with Nice’s Carlos Eduardo, who was also given a straight red for his studs in the face challenge.
“He got kicked in the face, I can’t explain it,” said Galtier of the second yellow. “The guy from Nice deserved his red though.”
On Saturday a freak own goal helped Nantes to a 2-1 win over Bordeaux to end a three-match losing run thanks to Jordan Veretout’s opener, cancelled out by Kian Hansen’s own goal.
In the 66th minute Bordeaux’s young Slovenian reserve keeper Azbe Jug haplessly scored the decider when the ball, rebounding off a post, struck him on the head and ended up in his own net.
Rennes were thwarted 2-0 at Bastia, playing much of the game a man down after Fallou Diagne’s 26th minute red card.
A first half stoppage time goal from Ryad Boudebouz and Yannick Cahuzac’s effort nine minutes from time earned Bastia a precious fourth win of the season.
Reims’ Brazilian midfielder Rigonato scored either side of the break in Reims’ pulsating defeat of Evian, while on a high-scoring day in the French top flight Lens came from behind to salvage a 3-3 draw at Montpellier.
On Friday, Ligue 1’s leading scorer Alexandre Lacazette grabbed a double as Lyon beat bottom club Caen 3-0 to make it eight consecutive home wins.
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Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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