Paris Saint-Germain will have to wait for at least one more week to seal their eighth Ligue 1 title after a 2-2 draw at home to Strasbourg on Sunday.
Lille’s 1-1 draw away at Reims earlier in the day had meant that a victory would confirm PSG as French champions for a second consecutive season, but striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting had other ideas.
Having put the hosts in front, the Cameroon international incredibly contrived to stop Christopher Nkunku’s goal-bound effort at 1-1, and was unable to even turn to the ball into the net.
Strasbourg quickly went 2-1 up and Thomas Tuchel’s men required a late headed equaliser from Thilo Kehrer to save a point – after the German coach had been dismissed for arguing with referee Thomas Leonard.
Choupo-Moting recognised his error post-match and explained his disappointment at failing to secure the title at the first attempt — as well as his incredible miss.
“At first, I thought that Christopher might pass to me,” he said. “He shot, though, and then I thought that the defender might get it.
“I hesitated to get the ball and asked if I was offside — it all happened really fast. I touched the ball, it hit the post and it is a shame as I think that Christopher’s was going in anyway. I am sorry for that, but we have to keep our heads up and keep going.
“It is a shame [to not be crowned champions at home] as we had enough chances. We want to win every game and the fans stuck behind us. It hurts, but we keep going — football is like that.”
Tuchel was at a loss to explain Choupo-Moting’s latest howler after another away at Toulouse last week and simply chalked it up to “Murphy’s law.”
PSG now have the chance to seal the Ligue 1 title away at rivals Lille next weekend where they will clinch by avoiding defeat.