Beckham picks up red card in PSG win

PARIS - David Beckham picked up a straight red card and Paris Saint-Germain finished with nine men but they continued their march towards a first French league title in 19 years with a chaotic 1-0 win at Evian Thonon Gaillard on Sunday.

Javier Pastore scored the only goal five minutes into the second half to put leaders PSG on 73 points, nine ahead of second-placed Olympique Marseille with four matches left.

Beckham, who came on as a second-half substitute, was shown a straight red for a foul on Youssef Adnane two minutes into stoppage time after Marco Verratti had been sent off in the 80th when he picked up a second yellow card.

A mass brawl erupted after the final whistle and Evian’s Saber Khelifa was shown a red card by referee Olivier Thual, who also asked for PSG goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu to join him back on the pitch.

PSG will be crowned champions for the first time since 1994 next Sunday if they get more points against Valenciennes at home than OM pick up against Bastia at the Stade Velodrome.

Reuters