FRENCH STRICKER WISSAM BEN YEDDER CHARGED WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT

Lahalle/L'Équipe

French soccer player Wissam Ben Yedder was taken into custody over the weekend and will stand trial on charges of "sexual assault in a state of inebriation," a judicial official told The Associated Press on Monday.

Nice prosecutor Damien Martinelli told the AP the public prosecutor's office has appealed the decision not to remand Ben Yedder into custody after the player was released following his arrest.

Sports newspaper L'Equipe reported earlier Monday that Ben Yedder, who was without a club since his contract with Monaco expired at the end of last season, was summoned to appear in court and has been placed under judicial supervision.

Martinelli said the trial has been set for Oct. 15.

The prosecutor did not give more details about the case.

L'Equipe reported Ben Yedder was arrested after a woman born in 2001 filed a lawsuit for sexual assault. The alleged events took place Friday night in Ben Yedder's car, the newspaper added.

In a separate legal case last year, Ben Yedder was charged with "rape, attempted rape and sexual assault" over another incident in the south of France.

The 34-year-old Ben Yedder notched 16 goals and three assists in the French league last season to help Monaco finish second behind Paris Saint-Germain.

In five seasons at Monaco, the France international scored 118 goals in 201 appearances in all competitions to become the second all-time leading scorer for the club behind retired Argentine striker Delio Onnis (223).

Ben Yedder has 19 caps for France, the last in June 2022.

- Associated Press 

MBAPPÉ'S SCORES AS PSG OVERCOME LE HARVE DESPITE DONNARUMMA'S !

AP Photo 

PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain had no problem beating Le Havre 2-0 to extend its lead at the top of the French league standings on Sunday despite playing for more than 80 minutes with 10 men after goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was sent off for a reckless tackle.

Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Vitinha ensured a seventh consecutive league win for Luis Enrique's team. PSG has a four-point cushion at the top after second-place Nice was handed its first loss this season on Saturday, a 1-0 defeat at Nantes.

Le Havre got off to a strong start with several good moves but lacked accuracy to inflict any damage. The hosts produced 22 shots, but only seven of them were on target.

Donnarumma was sent off following a reckless foul outside his box. The Italy goalkeeper came out of the area as he tried to clear a long ball with a very high tackle, but instead made contact with Le Havre forward Josue Casimir's face.

Referee Bastien Dechepy showed him a red card and Bradley Barcola made way for substitute goalie Arnau Tenas, who was happy to keep a clean sheet on his debut.

“It’s wonderful," he said. "I’d like to thank everyone for this opportunity, it’s an incredible day today. The team was strong for every minute played, and I was able to stop the opposition’s shots.”

PSG AND MONACO HAVE THE LEAGUE'S BEST FINISHERS, BUT THEOR GAME COULD BE DECIDED ON MIDFIELD

AP Photo 

PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco have the French league's two best finishers in Kylian Mbappé and Wissam Ben Yedder, yet their match on Friday might be about who copes best in midfield.

Ben Yedder has scored 103 league goals for Monaco in the past four years, while Mbappé has 131 for PSG over the same period. The France internationals even finished as co-top scorers with 18 in the coronavirus-shortened 2019-20 season, and were both on the team of the year in 2021-22.

League leader PSG is looking for a sixth straight win and Mbappé is the leading scorer this season with 13 goals.

Second-place Monaco will move even on points with the leaders if it wins at Parc des Princes, where the absence of midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery is a big blow to PSG coach Luis Enrique. The 17-year-old Zaïre-Emery injured his right ankle last Saturday while scoring in his France debut in a record 14-0 rout of Gibraltar.

But Monaco is without arguably the league's best holding midfielder in Youssouf Fofana, who is suspended.