The Japan Times - Marquinhos rescues last-gasp draw for PSG at Lille in Ligue 1

It looked as though the reigning French and European champions were heading for defeat as goals by Hakon Haraldsson and Dilane Bakwa for Lille left PSG trailing 2-0 with the 90 minutes up.

But a Vitinha strike in the first added minute gave Luis Enrique's team sudden belief. The Portugal playmaker then crossed for Marquinhos to head in with the final act of the game in northern France.

It was a cruel blow for Lille and their new coach Davide Ancelotti, who worked with Marquinhos as part of the Brazil staff at the recent World Cup.

PSG remain without a victory at the start of this Ligue 1 season but this was the second successive game in which they had come from two behind late on to grab a share of the spoils.

Last weekend they trailed 2-0 away to Rennes before Spain's World Cup final hero Ferran Torres came off the bench and netted a brace to earn a point.

- Dembele left out -

Torres, a new arrival from Barcelona, had replaced Ousmane Dembele at half-time in that game, and the French international was then told by his manager to go away and have this week off.

He was therefore not involved here, while another of France's World Cup stars Bradley Barcola was also absent with a huge-money transfer to Liverpool understood to be imminent.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was also benched at kick-off for the visitors, who saw Achraf Hakimi come close to giving them an early lead with an effort which grazed the post.

Haraldsson then struck in stunning fashion just before the midway point in the first half for Lille, who this week sold prodigious teenage talent Ayyoub Bouaddi to Manchester City for an initial 100 million euros ($117m).

The Icelandic international midfielder scored with a thumping first-time effort from the edge of the area after a brilliant reverse pass by Olivier Giroud to set him up.

Kvaratskhelia and summer recruit Mika Godts both came on in the second half for PSG, but they were reeling when Bakwa -- just on for his debut after joining on loan from Nottingham Forest -- curled in for 2-0 with six minutes left.

It seemed set to be two wins out of two for Lille under new Italian coach, whose father Carlo Ancelotti -- the current Brazil boss -- watched from the stands at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

Davide Ancelotti was on the staff at PSG when Carlo was in charge of the Qatar-owned club between 2012 and 2013.

But PSG's late show denied them, and Luis Enrique's side will take confidence from their remarkable comeback here as they prepare for the upcoming defence of their Champions League title.

The two-time reigning European champions, who have already beaten Aston Villa to claim this season's UEFA Super Cup, will notably play Barcelona and Manchester City in the league phase of the Champions League.

Elsewhere in Ligue 1 this weekend, last season's runners-up Lens go to Strasbourg on Saturday, while Monaco face Marseille on Sunday.

T.Ikeda--JT