Neymar sent off, Cavani rescues PSG

PARIS — After Neymar was sent off, Edinson Cavani stepped up for league leader Paris Saint-Germain with an injury-time free kick to salvage a 2-2 draw Sunday at rival Marseille.

Cavani won the foul after being knocked over by forward Bouna Sarr, and curled the ball in off the underside of the crossbar with goalkeeper Steve Mandanda slightly slow to cover.

“It’s an important goal,” Cavani said of his ninth goal of the season. “It was difficult to play here in a tough atmosphere.”

Cavani took the free kick because Neymar, the world’s most expensive player when he joined from Barcelona for 222 million euros ($260 million), picked up a second yellow card in the 87th minute.

“After the sending off it was hard, but the character of the team got us through,” PSG coach Unai Emery said. “I don’t think it was fair on Neymar. He gets provoked in every game. “

Neymar will be suspended for Friday’s home match against Nice.

The Brazil striker reacted angrily to a challenge from behind from Lucas Ocampos, and sent the Argentine winger tumbling to the ground at Stade Velodrome in retribution.

That happened soon after winger Florian Thauvin acrobatically volleyed home in the 78th from substitute Clinton Njie’s pass to give Marseille a 2-1 lead.

Real and Atletico keep pressure on Liga leaders

A Marco Asensio-inspired Real Madrid crushed Eibar 3-0 to close the gap on La Liga leader Barcelona to five points Sunday, with Karim Benzema starting on the bench.

Asensio forced an own goal and scored the second as Madrid moved up to third place with 20 points, one behind second-placed Valencia and one ahead of Atletico Madrid, who beat Celta Vigo 1-0 away thanks to a Kevin Gameiro strike.

Barcelona beat Malaga 2-0 at the Nou Camp on Saturday while Valencia thrashed visitors Sevilla 4-0.

Asensio, picked ahead of France striker Benzema to partner a subdued Cristiano Ronaldo up front, sparkled as Real made light work of the visiting Basque side, which is 16th.

Paulo Oliveira headed Asensio’s cross into his own goal in the 18th minute, before the forward volleyed home the second goal 10 minutes later from Isco’s ball.

Substitute Marcelo added the third in the 82nd with a low drilled effort into the far corner to finish off the drubbing.

Zinedine Zidane made five changes from the Real side which drew 1-1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur in their Champions League group stage match Tuesday.

Earlier, Gameiro’s strike earned Atletico the points in Galicia where Celta, in 10th spot, impressed but could not break down Diego Simeone’s typically rock-solid backline.

Leganes moved up to fifth with a 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao thanks to a brilliant individual goal from Claudio Beauvue, while Villarreal thrashed Las Palmas 4-0 to go sixth, sending the islanders down to third-bottom. — Agencies