Emery backs Areola after error

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Unai Emery defended Alphonse Areola after the goalkeeper’s error in his team’s Ligue 1 win over Lille.

Areola gifted the visitors to the Parc des Princes an 86th-minute equaliser, dispossessed on the edge of his own box to allow Nicolas de Preville to cancel out Edinson Cavani’s opener.

But PSG kept the pressure on league leaders Monaco as Lucas Moura struck in additional time, although he appeared to be offside.

“Alphonse is young. He needs experience,” Emery said of his 23-year-old keeper.

“I believe that living these negative things will help him for the future.”

PSG sit three points behind table-topping Monaco, with Nice – who have a game in hand – three points behind the reigning champions in third.

Emery said he wanted to see his team become more ruthless to avoid dropping points unnecessarily.

“We have already lost a lot of points in the last minutes,” he said.

“We need to kill matches.”

PSG are next in action with a trip to Bordeaux on Friday.