Psg Vs Metz: PSG reclaim Ligue 1 lead after Lens collapse
psg vs metz saw Paris Saint-Germain brush aside struggling Metz 3-0 at the Parc des Princes on Saturday to go back to the top of the Ligue 1 table, taking advantage of a 3-2 defeat for title rivals Lens at the hands of Monaco. PSG are now two points ahead of Lens with 11 games of the season remaining.
Psg Vs Metz preview
There were three Ligue 1 matches on Saturday, including Paris Saint-Germain's home fixture with Metz. Elsewhere, Lens welcomed Monaco, and Toulouse hosted Paris FC. The PSG home game was part of matchday 23 of the campaign.
How PSG opened the scoring
Desire Doue came into the Paris starting line-up against Metz after having been introduced off the bench for the injured Ousmane Dembele and after scoring twice in the 3-2 midweek win away to Monaco in the first leg of their Champions League knockout phase play-off tie. Doue opened the scoring inside three minutes on Saturday, racing through from halfway to score after being released by Warren Zaire-Emery's pass over the top.
Second-half and Ramos strike
The second goal arrived in first-half stoppage time, Bradley Barcola finishing from practically on the line after Metz goalkeeper Jonathan Fischer had kept out a Lucas Hernandez header at a corner. Goncalo Ramos squandered a good chance to make it 3-0 in the second half before he did find the net inside the final quarter of an hour with an emphatic finish for his 11th goal of the campaign.
Managerial rotation and Champions League focus
Luis Enrique rested several key players while Ousmane Dembele was not involved at all, with PSG preparing for the second leg against Monaco this coming Wednesday. Luis Enrique said, "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 collapse and Monaco comeback
Lens started the day a point ahead of reigning French and European champions PSG at the summit and looked in control at home. Odsonne Edouard fired in the opener for the hosts from an Adrien Thomasson lay-off after just three minutes, and Florian Thauvin doubled their advantage on 56 minutes as Pierre Sage's Lens team chased a club record 11th successive home league win.
However, Monaco staged a comeback. Folarin Balogun pulled one back just after the hour mark, the United States forward scoring his 11th goal of the season in all competitions. Denis Zakaria then equalised before substitute Ansu Fati netted the winner, giving Monaco three goals in the space of 11 second-half minutes and handing Lens their first home loss since August. Lens came into the weekend with the best defensive record in the division.
Table implications and Saturday context
PSG's 3-0 victory over the division's bottom club allowed them to reclaim first place. PSG are now two points clear of Lens with 11 games remaining. Lyon, occupied in third, can move to within six points of the table-toppers if they win away at Strasbourg on Sunday.
Additional weekend context: Lens had been lifted back into first earlier by a 5-0 thumping at Paris FC that left them a point above Paris Saint-Germain heading into the action. Monaco arrived at Stade Bollaert-Delelis on matchday 23 sitting eighth after a 3-1 win over Nantes. Toulouse and Paris FC met at Stadium de Toulouse on matchday 23; Toulouse were 10th after a 2-1 loss at Le Havre last Sunday, while Paris FC were 15th after being hammered 5-0 at home by Lens.
On Metz: a 3-1 defeat at Rennes previously dropped the reigning champions down to second in the table, while Metz remained dead last after a 3-1 loss at home to Auxerre. Observers expected Metz could temporarily climb out of the Ligue 1 basement with a win at the Parc des Princes, but PSG prevailed decisively. One forecast noted that even with PSG playing a Champions League affair in midweek, PSG were expected to secure a comfortable victory regardless of selection, and that Metz have too many holes at the back and get stretched far too often to contain a side as deep as Les Parisiens for 90 minutes.
Reflecting on Lens’s collapse, Sage said, "That was stupid. We had the victory in our hands. " He added, "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. "
PSG's win, the Lens defeat and the weekend fixtures reshuffled the title race, leaving PSG top with two points to spare and 11 matches left to play.
