Reims 0-0 Paris Saint-Germain: Ramos is shown an unusual red card as the Ligue 1 leaders are halted

Paris Saint-Germain were hampered by Sergio Ramos’ odd red card as they struggled to a 0-0 draw with Reims in Ligue 1.

With Lionel Messi out due to injury and Neymar starting on the bench, PSG struggled to make inroads against their tenacious hosts with 11 men.

After Ramos’ moment of madness, Christophe Galtier’s men were forced to play the majority of the encounter with 10 men, the Spaniard collecting up two bookings in rapid succession shortly before the half, the second for dissent.

PSG’s greatest chance of the second half was squandered by Neymar, as the perennial Ligue 1 champions failed to go five points clear of Marseille at the top.

At the other end, Dion Lopy blasted a volley over the crossbar after visiting goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf made a superb early stop from Fabian Ruiz’s curling effort.

PSG struggled to find attacking spark early on, but went close twice in quick succession after 33 minutes, with Nordi Mukiele firing over after Diouf had denied Kylian Mbappe from close range.

Ramos was sent off for challenging the referee less than a minute after seeing yellow for tripping Marshall Munetsi, dealing the Ligue 1 leaders an unprecedented blow.

As Reims pressed after the break, Gianluigi Donnarumma dived down to deny Munetsi’s goal-bound shot, before Neymar side-footed wide of the near post from Mbappe’s well-timed pass following his introduction.

Vitinha then curled over as Neymar’s arrival energized PSG, but Oscar Garcia’s relegation-threatened side were eventually good value for a victory that brings them back out of the relegation zone.

What does it imply? The 10-man Parisians are unable to expand their lead.

PSG entered Saturday’s meeting having won six consecutive Ligue 1 away games, their longest such streak since a club-record eight in April 2017.

Galtier’s club came into this game having scored 28 goals in nine Ligue 1 games, but they were still a long way from their best even before Ramos was sent off.

As a result, PSG failed to capitalize on Marseille’s surprising 2-1 loss to Ajaccio earlier on Saturday, and now trail their opponents by just three points heading into next week’s crucial clash at the Parc des Princes.

Red mist descends on Ramos… once more.

With PSG struggling to score against a tenacious Reims defense and also being harassed on the break, the visitors needed to keep their cool as halftime approached. Ramos, unfortunately for Galtier, did not get the memo.

The Real Madrid legend now has 21 red cards in his league career (in LaLiga and Ligue 1), at least seven more than any other defender in the top five European leagues in the twenty-first century.

Leaders are missing Messi’s brilliance.

Despite Ramos’ departure, PSG only managed four shots – two on target – in the first half, the vast majority of which saw them play with the full complement.

In reality, the Parisians battled for inspiration in Messi’s absence. The Argentine has been involved in seven goals and five assists in his previous five league matches, and there is little question Mbappe and company missed his vision on Saturday.

Facts about Opta

PSG faced 24 shots against, their most in a Ligue 1 game since December 2011 (30 at Saint-Etienne), while Reims had not tried as many as 24 attempts without scoring in a Ligue 1 game since Opta began tracking the tournament (2006-07).
PSG are unbeaten in their previous 19 Ligue 1 games (W14 D5), their longest unbeaten streak in the top level dating back to May 2018. (21).
This season, referee Pierre Gaillouste has issued six red cards in six games in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. On September 3, Nantes played PSG, and on September 12, Metz played Guingamp.

What comes next?

PSG hosts Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday, with the two teams tied on seven points in Group H. Next Saturday, Reims will play Lorient in Ligue 1.