Psg Vs Metz: PSG reclaim Ligue 1 lead as Lens collapse hands them the chance
In a weekend that shifted the top of the table, psg vs metz ended 3-0 at the Parc des Princes as Paris Saint-Germain moved back to first place after Lens were stunned 3-2 by Monaco.
Psg Vs Metz at Parc des Princes
Paris Saint-Germain brushed aside struggling Metz 3-0, with Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos on the scoresheet. Doue opened the scoring inside three minutes, racing through from halfway after a Warren Zaire-Emery pass over the top. Barcola made it 2-0 in first-half stoppage time by finishing from practically on the line after Metz goalkeeper Jonathan Fischer had kept out a Lucas Hernandez header at a corner. Ramos, who earlier squandered a good chance in the second half, found the net inside the final quarter of an hour with an emphatic finish for his 11th goal of the campaign.
How the weekend standings flipped
Lens began the day a point ahead of Paris Saint-Germain but a collapse at Stade Bollaert-Delelis handed PSG the opportunity to reclaim first place. Lens were two goals in front in the second half against Monaco — Odsonne Edouard fired in the opener from an Adrien Thomasson lay-off after just three minutes and Florian Thauvin doubled their lead on 56 minutes — only to concede three second-half goals and suffer their first home loss since August. Monaco’s fightback featured a pullback just after the hour from Folarin Balogun, his 11th goal of the season in all competitions, an equaliser from Denis Zakaria and the winner from substitute Ansu Fati, the third goal in the space of 11 second-half minutes for the principality side.
Players, rotation and match context
Doue had been introduced off the bench for the injured Ousmane Dembele in midweek and had scored twice in PSG’s 3-2 away win in the first leg of their Champions League knockout phase play-off tie with Monaco; he was handed a starting role against Metz. Luis Enrique rested several key players for the league match and Dembele was not involved at all as PSG prepare for the second leg against Monaco this coming Wednesday. PSG are now two points clear of Lens with 11 games of the season remaining; Lyon in third can move to within six points of the table-toppers if they win away at Strasbourg on Sunday.
Saturday’s Ligue 1 preview notes and other fixtures
There were three Ligue 1 matches on Saturday: PSG vs. Metz, Lens vs. Monaco and Toulouse vs. Paris FC. Previews ahead of the weekend expected a comfortable victory for PSG in the psg vs metz fixture, even with a midweek Champions League tie, saying Metz have too many holes at the back and get stretched far too often to contain Les Parisiens for 90 minutes. Lens had been lifted back into first place by a 5-0 win at Paris FC that left them a point above PSG heading into the weekend; Monaco arrived in the clash eighth after a 3-1 win over Nantes.
Separately, Toulouse and Paris FC met at Stadium de Toulouse for the 23rd matchday of the campaign — the first time since 2022 the sides had squared off there. Toulouse came into the fixture 10th after a 2-1 loss at Le Havre last Sunday, while Paris FC sat 15th after being hammered 5-0 at home by Lens. Lens had been targeting a club-record 11th successive home league win before the Monaco comeback; they entered the weekend with the best defensive record in the division.
Reactions and what
PSG coach Luis Enrique praised Lens’s campaign and urged improvement, telling broadcaster Ligue 1+: "What I think is that Lens are having an incredible season. There are still 11 games left and we need to improve yet if we want to retain the title. " Lens boss Pierre Sage called the collapse "stupid, " adding, "We had the victory in our hands. We are very disappointed but it is important that we don't play the victim. We need to see this as an experience that will help us grow as a team. "
Metz remained at the bottom of the table after a 3-1 home defeat to Auxerre earlier in the campaign, and previews noted they could have temporarily climbed out of the basement with a result at Parc des Princes. A 3-1 defeat at Rennes had dropped the reigning champions to second in the table before PSG’s win on Saturday.
What’s next
PSG now prepare for the second leg of their Champions League knockout phase play-off tie with Monaco this coming Wednesday. On the domestic front, remaining fixtures include Lyon’s trip to Strasbourg on Sunday, which could move Lyon to within six points of the leaders if they win; the season still has 11 games remaining for the top teams to decide the title race.
