PSG win to reclaim Ligue 1 lead after Lens lose to Monaco
Paris Saint-Germain comfortably beat bottom-of-the-table Metz 3-0 on Saturday to regain the Ligue 1 top spot by exploiting title challengers Lenss 3-2 setback against Monaco.
Lens held a one-point advantage over the defending French and European title holders PSG at the start of the day and led 2-0 during the second half against Monaco before crumbling to their initial home defeat since August.
This opened the door for PSG to seize the lead once more and they swiftly overcame the leagues weakest side at Parc des Princes thanks to strikes from Desire Doue Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos.
PSG now lead Lens by two points with 11 matches still to play in the campaign while third-placed Lyon could narrow the gap to six points by defeating Strasbourg away on Sunday.
"I believe Lens are enjoying a remarkable season" said PSG manager Luis Enrique to Ligue 1+ broadcaster.
"With 11 fixtures remaining we must keep enhancing our performance to hold onto the championship."
Doue earned a starting role in the Metz fixture following his substitute appearance for the injured Ousmane Dembele where he netted twice during the 3-2 away victory over Monaco in the Champions League knockout play-off first leg midweek.
He struck first within three minutes charging from midfield to finish after Warren Zaire-Emery lofted a pass over the defence.
Barcola added the second in added time before the interval tapping in from almost on the goalline after Metz keeper Jonathan Fischer blocked Lucas Hernandezs header from a corner.
Ramos missed a clear opportunity for a third in the second period but later converted confidently in the last 15 minutes for his 11th strike this season.
Luis Enrique gave several important squad members a break and omitted Dembele entirely as PSG gear up for the return leg versus Monaco next Wednesday.
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At Lens Odsonne Edouard opened the scoring for the home team with a shot from an Adrien Thomasson pass just three minutes in.
Under Pierre Sage Lens aimed for a club-best 11th straight home league triumph and appeared set for success when Florian Thauvin made it 2-0 on 56 minutes.
Monaco responded soon after the hour with Folarin Balogun halving the deficit the US forward claiming his 11th goal across all competitions this term.
This ignited an impressive turnaround as Denis Zakaria levelled matters before replacement Ansu Fati sealed the win with three goals in 11 second-half minutes for the visitors from the principality.
The downfall stunned Lens who entered the round with the leagues strongest defensive stats.
"That was foolish We controlled the game" Sage admitted.
"We feel deeply let down yet we must avoid self-pity This setback will aid our development as a unit."
Monaco climb temporarily to sixth re-entering the European race after securing three wins and two draws in their past five Ligue 1 matches.
Saturdays other fixture saw Toulouse and Paris FC share a 1-1 draw Julian Vignolo equalising late to thwart the capitals side following Marshall Munetsis opener for the visitors.
The draw means Paris FC backed by the wealthy Arnault family have only one league victory in 12 outings and club insiders reported late Saturday that they decided to dismiss manager Stephane Gilli.
Ex-PSG coach Antoine Kombouare was poised to step in as replacement.
Fourth-placed Marseille fell 2-0 at Brest on Friday marking new boss Habib Beyes debut in the dugout.