Lens 1-3 Paris St-Germain

Paris St-Germain striker Edinson Cavani was sent off for his trademark gun celebration and subsequent protest as the French champions beat Lens.

The Uruguayan was booked after bending on one knee and firing an imaginary shot during a 3-1 victory.

He reacted by touching referee Nicolas Rainville's arm, with the official then showing him a red card.

PSG president Nasser Al Khelafi backed Cavani and said the 27-year-old "did not deserve" to be dismissed.

He told Canal Plus television: "Why did he get the yellow card before? He always celebrates the same way."

Cavani, a keen hunter,, external performed his usual celebration after scoring a 55th-minute penalty to give PSG a 3-1 lead.

The striker, signed from Napoli for £55m in July 2013, is yet to respond to the dismissal on social media.

Goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu told the PSG website:, external "Cavani? I still don't know why he was sent off. I feel really bad for him."

PSG coach Laurent Blanc said: "I'm not going to make any comment about the refereeing. It's a difficult game to analyse."

Adama Coulibaly's 20-yard shot had put Lens ahead but former Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye equalised.

Maxwell gave PSG the lead with a lob before Jean-Philippe Gbamin was sent off for shoving Cavani in the area.

Jerome Le Moigne was dismissed for the newly-promoted hosts just before the hour in a game played at the Stade de France because Lens's Bollaert stadium is being renovated.

Leaders Marseille beat Toulouse 2-0 on Sunday as goals from Nicolas N'Koulou and Andre-Pierre Gignac kept them clear at the top of Ligue 1.