PSG slip-ups give glimmer of hope to Ligue 1 rivals

PARIS — Could there actually be a title race in France this season? That is the question being asked after Paris Saint-Germain slumped to a second defeat of 2023 on Sunday to give hope to their rivals at the halfway stage of the campaign.

At the start of the season the question was whether the PSG of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar could go the whole campaign undefeated in the league.

It duly went unbeaten through its first 16 games but that run was ended when it came up against its nearest challenger Lens on New Year's Day.