Paris Saint-Germain extends lead in Ligue 1
Paris Saint-Germain extended their lead to nine points over Lens in the top of the French Ligue 1
Paris Saint-Germain took a big step towards their goal of defending their title in Ligue 1 by winning 3-1 at home against Lens, the second-placed team who played most of the match with ten men, on Saturday in the star match of the 31st round.
With 72 points, PSG increases their lead to nine points over Lens (63), who could lose their second place in the standings on Sunday, as Marseille (3rd, 61) is two points behind and will face Troyes (18th).
After Lens was reduced to ten men due to the expulsion of Salis Abdul Samed in the 19th minute, PSG imposed their superiority with goals from Kylian Mbappé (31st minute), Vitinha (37th) and Lionel Messi (40th). The only goal for the visitors was scored by Przemyslaw Frankowski from a penalty kick (60th).
The previous two league matches for Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes ended in defeats against Rennes and Lyon, so this match against Lens, the revelation team of the season, was seen as a real trap.
The red card for Salid Abdul Samed in the 19th minute for a foul on Achraf Hakimi cleared the way for the capital team.
The first goal of the match came in the 31st minute, when Mbappé received the ball with his back to the goal in the area and turned around to send a low shot that hit the post and went into the Lens' goal. The assist was provided by Portuguese Vitinha, who scored PSG's second goal in the 37th minute with a shot from outside the box.
The third goal was scored by Lionel Messi (40th), who redeemed himself after being booed in the previous matches. He did it in an attack he initiated himself, relying on Mbappé, who returned the pass with a backheel for the Argentine world champion to score with a shot across the goal.
In the second half, Frankowski scored from the penalty spot to shorten the gap for Lens in the 60th minute.
The scoreline remained the same and PSG is getting closer to their eleventh title in the French league.
In the top scorer table, Mbappé now has 20 goals and is the sole leader, with one more than Canadian Jonathan David from Lille and Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon. AFP