PSG beat Lyon to extend lead in Ligue 1

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain outclassed in-form Lyon on Sunday, winning 3-1 to extend their lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table to seven points.

Ousmane Dembele opened the scoring at the Parc des Princes and Vitinha added a penalty as PSG raced into a two-goal lead in what was expected to be one of the biggest tests of their credentials domestically this season.

Georges Mikautadze pulled one back for Lyon before the break but they never really looked like equalising and substitute Goncalo Ramos wrapped up the points for PSG late on. The game was also notable for a brief stoppage in play in the second half due to derogatory songs being sung by the PSG support, with home captain Achraf Hakimi having to go across and plead with the crowd to stop.

PSG could face disciplinary action due to the chants which have already been heard at previous games this season at the Parc des Princes, but otherwise it was a satisfying night for Luis Enrique´s team.

The win for Paris comes after nearest challengers Marseille and Monaco were both held to draws on Saturday, putting them in an even stronger position to go on and retain their title. PSG now head to Monaco on Wednesday in a rearranged fixture which will give them the chance to finish 2024 with a 10-point advantage over their nearest rivals.

“We were up against a very good Lyon team on a good run but it was very important for us to take advantage of the fact that the teams immediately behind us didn´t win this weekend,” said Luis Enrique. The coach did not even name striker Randal Kolo Muani among the substitutes, while he also left top scorer Bradley Barcola out of the starting line-up.

Centre-forward Ramos was also dropped despite finding the net in the midweek win at Salzburg in the Champions League. Desire Doue also scored in that match after coming off the bench and the 19-year-old did start here, making a huge impact as he played a part in both goals scored by PSG in the opening quarter hour.

He produced a devastating turn on the left wing to get away from Ainsley Maitland-Niles before advancing to the byline and cutting the ball back for Dembele to sweep home. That made it 1-0 inside eight minutes, and Doue was then brought down in the box by Corentin Tolisso, allowing Vitinha to roll in a penalty for 2-0. “Desire is a very young player who brings us a lot, and the fact all our players have so much room for improvement is what will allow us to grow,” Luis Enrique said.