Ligue 1 leaders Paris St Germain and AS Monaco played out a 0-0 draw at Stade Louis II on Friday, as Luis Enrique's side extended their unbeaten league run to 19 games. PSG, with 55 points, are now 12 clear of second-placed Brest, while Monaco remain third with 42.
Despite the visitors dominating possession, Monaco came closest to opening the scoring during the first half, with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma keeping the hosts at bay.
PSG looked more dangerous in the second half, despite forward Kylian Mbappe, who announced earlier that he would leave the club this summer, having been substituted at halftime, but Bradley Barcola and Vitinha could not find a way past keeper Radoslaw Majecki.
"Sooner or later we'll have to get used to playing without Kylian. I have to take the best decisions for the team," said PSG coach Luis Enrique when asked about taking off Mbappe.
PSG and Monaco players in action during their League 1 encounter in Monaco, March 1, 2024. /CFP
PSG next play at Real Sociedad in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday, where they hold a 2-0 lead.
"I don't have any personal feelings, I played a good game. It's not easy here and we wanted to win, but Monaco are a great team," Donnarumma said. "We played a good game despite everything. The team had a good attitude and now we're ready for Real Sociedad."
Elsewhere in Europe, Freiburg's Lucas Hoeler scored an 87th-minute equalizer to snatch a 2-2 against visitors Bayern Munich, whose Bundesliga title hopes suffered a further blow, as the result leaves them seven points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who have 61 and can pull further away with a win over Cologne on Sunday.
Bayern, only one win from their recent four league games, suffered a nightmare start to their record 2,000th Bundesliga game with the hosts finding spaces to attack. Freiburg took their chances against a crisis-hit Bayern, who will part ways with Thomas Tuchel at the end of the season, and were rewarded with a 12th minute lead.
Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer first spectacularly palmed a Roland Sallai header away, then saw the Hungarian's rebound bicycle kick bounce off the post before Christian Guenter rifled in. The hosts had half a dozen chances to score again in a strong half hour before Bayern hit against the run of play with an unstoppable long-range shot from Mathys Tel in the 35th.
The visitors looked sharper after the break and came close with Jamal Musiala and Harry Kane before the former launched a solo run down the left, cut into the box and curled a low shot past the Freiburg keeper to compete their comeback. Freiburg, however, struck in the 87th with Hoeler bagging the late equalizer after a fine turn and shot in the box.
(With input from Reuters)