Montpellier abruptly halted Paris Saint-Germain's 12-match unbeaten run with the defending French league champion losing 3-0 Saturday. The round was marred by the lyon goalkeeper being hospitalized at Metz after firecrackers were thrown on the pitch.
Montpellier, the last club to win the title before PSG claimed it four seasons in a row, showed clinical efficiency to convert its three shots on target. Third-placed PSG, which missed the chance to move top, had a lackluster first half and was made to pay for its poor defending after the interval.
Paul lasne opened the scoring in the 42nd minute, Ellyes Skhiri made it 2-0 just after halftime and Ryad Boudebouz compounded PSG's humiliation.
"The truth is that we didn't deserve to win this game. We played badly, we were never in the game," PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said. "We lost the match before the match had kicked off. The players weren't at it."
It was Montpellier's first win over the capital city club in 13 league matches, with its previous success dating back to May 2010. The win lifted the southern club five points clear of the relegation zone.
PSG has already lost three league matches, one more than all of last season.
MATCH ABANDONED
lyon goalkeeper Anthony lopes was taken to the hospital feeling dizzy on Saturday after firecrackers were thrown during a French league game at Metz, which was later abandoned.
The match was suspended after 30 minutes when Metz fans threw projectiles toward the Portuguese goalkeeper.
A first firecracker exploded next to lopes, who was attended by teammates and members of lyon's medical staff. Another went off close to his feet as he lay on the pitch. The teams left the field and the match was later called off.
lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas said lopes had complained about head pain after the first explosion left him dizzy.