Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Lorient as the visitors claimed a well-earned 3-1 victory. Despite being a man down, PSG fought valiantly but ultimately succumbed to Lorient's relentless pressure and swift counter-attacks.
It was Lorient that struck first, silencing the home crowd as Enzo Le Fee converted Romain Faivre's shot in the box just 15 minutes in.
The situation deteriorated further for the league leaders when, at the 20-minute mark, Achraf Hakimi received his marching orders. This came after a dangerous challenge on Darline Yongwa, which earned him a second yellow card.
Despite the disadvantage, PSG's star forward Kylian Mbappe equalized nine minutes later, capitalizing on Lorient's goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo's error.
Lorient, undeterred, reclaimed the lead in the 39th minute as Yongwa buried Faivre's deflected cross from close range. Galtier reacted by making a tactical substitution, introducing Ruiz to the midfield and withdrawing Carlos Soler.
PSG continued to push for an equalizer, and in the 67th minute, Danilo Pereira came close to levelling the scoreline. However, Mvogo stopped Pereira's free-kick, keeping Lorient in the lead.
The visitors had an opportunity to secure the win in the 76th minute, but Bamba Dieng squandered a golden chance, blasting his shot over the crossbar.
However, Dieng redeemed himself in the 88th minute, calmly slotting home following a lightning-fast counter-attack that caught the Parisians off-guard. Lorient's 3-1 victory dealt a significant blow to the league leaders and announced the visitors as a force to be reckoned with.
Twitter reacted to the league leaders' shock loss with a barrage of tweets slamming the Parisians for their poor showing:
Thiago Motta emerges as possible contender for PSG manager role
As Paris Saint-Germain's season approaches its conclusion, speculation is mounting about the future of coach Christophe Galtier, whose once-promising tenure has faltered.
Consequently, several names have emerged as potential candidates to take the reins at the French powerhouse. This includes Bologna FC's manager and former PSG midfielder Thiago Motta.
Various media outlets have reported Motta's name as a possible contender for the job. When questioned about his future with the Serie A club and the prospect of coaching the French giants, Motta responded (via PSGTalk):
"We will talk about it at the right time. There's no rush to sit down and discuss the best solutions for everyone. Right now, my future is the next game against Juventus."
If sporting advisor Luis Campos opts for Motta, it would be a daring choice, given the Italian's lack of experience managing clubs with trophy-winning expectations. The pressure would undoubtedly intensify, requiring Motta to adapt quickly to the high-stakes environment.