Edinson Cavani scored his 200th Paris Saint-Germain goal and Marquinhos netted twice as the Ligue 1 leader bounced back from its Champions League defeat by Borussia Dortmund to beat Bordeaux 4-3, but its victory was marred by Neymar’s late sending-off.
After losing 2-1 in Germany in its Champions League last 16 first leg in midweek, PSG’s defensive weaknesses were again exposed as South Korean international Hwang Ui-jo gave Bordeaux the lead at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.
PSG turned it around thanks to goals by Cavani and Kylian Mbappe either side of a Marquinhos brace, but at the other end there was a bizarre goal credited to the Brazilian defender Pablo and a Ruben Pardo strike had the home side hanging on at the finish.
The evening concluded with Neymar being sent off in stoppage time for a second yellow card for grappling with Bordeaux’s Yacine Adli, leaving the world’s most expensive player facing a suspension.
Along with the shortcomings at the back, it is another problem for coach Thomas Tuchel to think about, even if his team are now 13 points clear atop Ligue 1 from Marseille, who lost 3-1 to Nantes on Saturday.
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“He is human too and he was angry. The guy who fouled him just before was not even booked, so it was a bit bizarre,” said Tuchel of Neymar’s sending-off.
“We have let in seven goals in the last two league games and that is not normal. It is difficult to get back confidence, but the best thing for us was to win. That gives us a base to build on.”
Another domestic title has looked inevitable for some time, although it will all feel rather hollow should the Qatar-owned club fail to turn around the Dortmund tie when the sides meet again on March 11.
Tuchel came in for criticism after Tuesday’s game, including veiled criticism from Neymar over the handling of his latest injury.
It endured a bad start against mid-table Bordeaux, with skipper Thiago Silva going off hurt just before Hwang put the away side in front on 18 minutes.
The Korean was given the space six yards out to head in a corner for his sixth Ligue 1 goal since moving to France from Gamba Osaka.
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PSG was level in the 25th minute, though, as Di Maria's ball into the box was headed in by Cavani, the Uruguayan reaching a double century of PSG goals to the delight of the home fans.
He then hit the post with a backheel from close range before Marquinhos put Paris in front in first-half stoppage time, using his shoulder to covert a Di Maria free-kick.
Nevertheless, there was still time for Bordeaux to equalise at 2-2 before the interval.
Selected ahead of Keylor Navas for just his second start in Ligue 1, Sergio Rico's attempted clearance from a Marco Verratti back-pass struck Pablo and the Spanish goalkeeper looked on in horror as the ball ricocheted back into the net.
Marquinhos got his second of the night in the 63rd minute to make it 3-2, though, turning the ball in from close range after Benoit Costil had saved from Cavani.
Then, when Ruben Pardo carelessly lost possession, Cavani set up Mbappe to score PSG's fourth goal of the night, his 16th in the league this season.
Pardo made some amends with a stunning strike for Bordeaux's third, and the ninth goal Paris have conceded in three games.
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