PSG draws 0-0 against Montpellier amid booing

Paris Saint-Germain was booed at home in its last match of the year after the defending French league champion was held to a goalless draw by Montpellier on Saturday.

It was a first 0-0 draw at home in nearly two years for PSG, which fell to its first league defeat of the season at Guingamp last weekend. That result came days after its unbeaten season was ended at Barcelona in the Champions League.

"The match was not complete, much like our first half of the campaign," PSG coach Laurent Blanc said. "Offensively, we didn't do enough to win this match.

"Now we need to recharge the batteries. The winter break will be good for us, both mentally and physically."

Both sides struggled to carve out chances, and the only shot on target in an abject first half was Zlatan Ibrahimovic's weak free kick for PSG.

Montpellier also had a goal ruled out for a tight offside decision.

PSG moved level on points with league leader Marseille, which hosts Lille on Sunday. Montpellier remained ninth.

Monaco moved provisionally fourth — six points below PSG — with a 1-0 win at struggling Metz, which remained in the bottom three along with Caen and Bastia, who drew their relegation battle 1-1.

Guingamp's three-match winning streak ended in a 1-1 draw at Toulouse, while Lorient also remained in trouble as it lost 2-1 at home to Nantes.

Elsewhere, Reims beat Rennes 3-1.

PSG had a chance to end 2014 as it had started, at the top of the league, but Montpellier went closest to taking the lead with a stunning effort from Morgan Sanson, who was ruled marginally offside on Anthony Mounier's cross.

PSG was jeered off the pitch at halftime, with its closest effort being Ibrahimovic's free kick which was comfortably gathered by Montpellier goalkeeper Jonathan Ligali.

The champions increased the pressure after the break, and Thiago Silva almost turned in a corner, but Mounier cleared the header off the line with Ligali beaten.

Edinson Cavani was proving ineffective and was substituted in the 65th to resounding boos.

PSG appealed for a penalty four minutes from time but the referee waved away its claims after Mathieu Deplagne appeared to foul Adrien Rabiot.

It was the first time since 2012 that PSG failed to score in successive matches.

Monaco's recovery continued as it ground out a fourth successive victory without conceding a goal.

Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco broke the deadlock 11 minutes from time, controlling Lacina Traore's pass before slotting past Metz goalkeeper Anthony Mfa.

Bottom club Caen was hoping to move level with its opponents with a win but it was Bastia which took the lead in the 21st when Francois Kamano headed in his first Ligue 1 goal.

Bastia would have moved out of the bottom three if it had managed to hold on but Julien Feret scored his first goal for Caen to level matters in the 73rd.

The teams in the bottom three will take heart from the fact it is a tight bottom half of the table and Guingamp, which moved to provisional 12th, is nevertheless only three points off the relegation zone.

Guingamp got off to the perfect start when Toulouse goalkeeper Ali Ahamada could only parry Christophe Mandanne's lob and Thibault Giresse scored with the rebound in the eighth minute.

Tongo Doumbia leveled for Toulouse, which had a great chance to take the lead in the 55th but Wissam Ben Yedder had his effort saved by Jonas Lossl.