Defending champions Paris Saint-German extended their lead in the Ligue 1 points table but they faced a frustrating goalless draw against 14th placed Reims at the Stade Auguste-Delaune II on Saturday night. However, the draw was overshadowed by PSG defender Sergio Ramos' 30-second red card for arguing with the referee.
PSG star Lionel Messi, who scored the only goal in his side's 1-1 draw against Benfica in their last UCL clash, missed the game against Reims due to a calf injury while Neymar Jr. started on the bench.
With five minutes remaining in the first half, Sergio Ramos was booked by the referee for a challenge on his opponent, whom he barely touched, and the Spaniard began arguing for the unfair call. In the next minute, referee showed him the red card and signaled to leave the pitch over his dissent.
Watch Ramos gets his 28th red card:
After the match, PSG coach Christophe Galtier told reporters as quoted by L’Equipe, “I don’t know if he is at fault or not. He first takes a yellow card. I experienced this situation a few years back during Nîmes-Lille. It is a problem, not cultural, but of football language. I’m sure Sergio didn’t mean to insult the referee but just used an expression that I hear hundreds of times throughout the week.
“It also exists on the ground without it being addressed to a particular person. It’s an expression. I think that at the time, the referee may have lacked discernment and took it for himself when I had already had this concern with José [Fonte]. The referee had taken the expression as an insult to him when it was only a thing that is often said on the field.”
Meanwhile, second-placed Marseille, who are giving neck-and-neck competition to Paris-based club, faced a disappointing defeat against Ajaccio on Saturday and PSG's draw against Reims helped the reigning champions to extend their lead on the top of the Ligue 1 table by three points.
