PSG ‘fight’ to extend lead at top of Ligue 1 with Lens win
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique said his team had to “fight” to establish a six-point lead over second-placed Monaco in Ligue 1 with a 1-0 home victory over Lens on Saturday.
A single goal from Ousmane Dembele was enough for PSG to capitalise on title rivals Monaco’s recent slip-up, after the principality side suffered a home defeat to lowly Angers on Friday.
Luis Enrique’s side now sit top of the table on 26 points, six clear of Monaco, with third-place Lille a further two points behind.
“It’s a deserved victory that we had to work hard for,” said Luis Enrique.
“We could have scored two or three more goals, but we weren’t clinical enough.”
For Will Still’s Lens, they remain just outside the European places, sitting in seventh with 14 points.
The champions took an early lead in the fourth minute when Dembele slotted home a cross following excellent wing play from Bradley Barcola, bringing up his fifth league goal of the season.
The 27-year-old managed just three Ligue 1 goals during his first season at PSG last year.
Ten minutes later, Fabian Ruiz was denied by the foot of Brice Samba after Achraf Hakimi set him up inside the box.
Lens’ hopes for an equaliser were dampened on 20 minutes when attacker Florian Sotoca had to come off with a thigh injury.
Samba then denied Marco Asensio in the 34th minute as PSG continued their push for a second goal.
The hosts applied pressure on the Lens goal as half-time approached but had to be content with their narrow lead going into the second half.
Just before the hour mark, Lens were reduced to 10 men following a VAR review that saw Abdukodir Khusanov sent off for a high tackle.
A brilliant fingertip save from Samba against Barcola in the 73rd minute kept Lens’s chances alive.
PSG’s tempo dropped as the second half progressed, but with a goal and a man advantage, they were able to hold off Lens and secure the three points.
Later on Saturday, Nice travel to Brest, while Saint-Etienne host Strasbourg.