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Angel Di Maria rescued Paris St Germain\u2019s Champions League hopes as his sensational stoppage-time equalizer secured a 2-2 draw with Napoli.<\/p>\nAngel Di Maria rescued Paris St Germain\u2019s Champions League hopes as his sensational stoppage-time equalizer secured a 2-2 draw with Napoli.<\/p>\n
Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens had twice given Napoli the lead at the Parc des Princes, and PSG seemed to be on their way to a second defeat in three Group C games.<\/p>\n
But PSG, who had equalized through Mario Rui\u2019s own goal, were spared a crushing defeat when Di Maria dispatched a superb 20-yard curler in the third of the five minutes added on.<\/p>\n
Di Maria had been largely anonymous as the French champions huffed and puffed against a resilient Napoli defense, in which Kalidou Koulibaly had excelled.<\/p>\n
But the Argentina star came up with a dramatic moment of magic to leave PSG a point behind Napoli at the halfway stage, and two adrift of group leaders Liverpool.<\/p>\n
On a night when PSG\u2019s much-vaunted strike trio of Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe largely disappointed, Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti had seemed ready to celebrate his return to the French capital.<\/p>\n
Ancelotti won the Ligue 1 title in 2013 in his only full season at PSG, and his former club rarely looked like claiming their first Champions League victory over Italian opposition.<\/p>\n
The hosts began brightly with Mbappe firing wide from a tight angle and Cavani determined to make his mark against the club where he spent three years before leaving for Paris in 2013.<\/p>\n
Cavani raced onto Mbappe\u2019s pass after 17 minutes, but David Ospina pushed out his deflected shot.<\/p>\n
Napoli, however, gradually grew into the game and took control after Mertens had diverted Rui\u2019s center on to the crossbar.<\/p>\n
Jose Callejon saw his effort saved at the near post before the lively Spaniard turned provider four minutes later.<\/p>\n
Callejon\u2019s perfectly-weighted pass exposed the ball-watching PSG defense and Insigne beat the advancing Alphonse Areola with the deftest of chips.<\/p>\n
Insigne might have doubled the lead from Marek Hamsik\u2019s pass, but he was unable to control his volley and test Areola.<\/p>\n
PSG threatened when Neymar released Mbappe and Ospina blocked with his legs, but Napoli deservedly reached the break 1-0 ahead.<\/p>\n
Napoli withstood early second-half pressure when Neymar was thwarted, but PSG\u2019s eventual equalizer just after the hour mark was down to a huge slice of luck.<\/p>\n
Thomas Meunier\u2019s cross looked like causing little damage until Rui stuck out a boot and diverted it past the helpless Ospina.<\/p>\n
Napoli\u2019s lead was restored 13 minutes from time when Fabian Ruiz\u2019s cross struck Marquinhos and fell kindly for Mertens to convert from close range.<\/p>\n
But Di Maria spared PSG\u2019s blushes and gave them last-16 qualification hope ahead of the return match in Naples, when he came up with a ferocious effort deep into stoppage time.<\/p>\n