Paris Saint Germain Defeats Lille 0-3

Paris Saint Germain, Real Madrid's rival in the Champions League Round of 16, took another step towards the league title after defeating Lille 0-3 on Saturday. The scoreline did not reflect the numerous problems that Unai Emery's team had to overcome.

In fact, Lille had the first great opportunity to take the lead thanks to a shot by Moroccan player Hamza Mendyl in the 18th minute, which was brilliantly saved by Paris Saint Germain goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.

Without Kylian Mbappe, who was suspended due to a direct red card he received last Tuesday against Stade Rennais in the League Cup semi-finals, Spanish coach Unai Emery opted for Argentinean player Angel Di Maria as a partner for Uruguayan Edinson Cavani and Brazilian Neymar in the attack.

Despite dominating possession in the first half, the trio lacked the necessary effectiveness to overcome Lille's solid defensive structure.

It was a defender, Spanish full-back Yuri Berchiche, who broke the deadlock by scoring 0-1 during injury time in the first half. He pounced on a loose ball in the area after a poor clearance by the home defence.

The goal was not without controversy, as Cavani, who received the pass from Neymar that created the ball that Berchiche eventually sent into the net, appeared to be in an offside position.

But even with the advantage on the scoreboard, Paris Saint Germain continued to face problems. Once again, goalkeeper Areola was called upon to prevent Lille from equalizing, this time saving a free-kick taken by Moroccan player Anwar El Ghazi in the 48th minute.

This fantastic opportunity could have ended any chances of Lille snatching a point against the all-powerful Paris Saint Germain, who added their lack of finishing in the first half to their gameplay in the second half.

As demonstrated by Brazilian star Neymar, who, shortly after missing a great opportunity to score, scored the temporary 0-2 with a sensational free-kick in the 77th minute. This was Neymar's 18th goal in the French league.

But if Neymar's goal was extraordinary, no less sublime was the strike by Argentinean player Giovani Lo Celso, who established the final score of 0-3 in the 87th minute with a delicate chip from outside the box.

With this victory, Paris Saint Germain now has an eleven-point lead over the second-placed team in the French league, Marseille, who defeated Metz 6-3 on Friday. Paris Saint Germain now awaits the match between Lyon, in third place, and Monaco, in fourth place, which will take place tomorrow.