Two weeks after the previous league match, which ended in a 2-1 victory over PFC, Paris Saint-Germain returned to Ligue 1 and the Parc des Princes to begin the second half of the league season on Matchday 18. On the menu for the evening was a clash at the top of the table against Lille, who were just outside the top three. Les Dogues traveled to the capital with the firm intention of overtaking Marseille in the standings, and Olivier Giroud confirmed Lille's ambitions early on with a lob that hit the Parisian crossbar (2').
After throwing his arms up in the air too soon on his teammate's attempt, Ethan Mbappé took another shot with his left foot but was denied by Lucas Chevalier, who had already made a decisive save. In contrast, Les Rouge et Bleu were clinical in front of goal, with Ousmane Dembélé receiving the ball on the edge of the Nordistes' box and opening the scoring for Paris with a delightful left-footed strike into the bottom corner (1-0, 13'). The goal gave the Parisians confidence and they took control of the game as the minutes ticked by, forcing the visitors to play deeper.
Luis Enrique's men were winning more duels and looked the more dangerous, but neither Fabian Ruiz (19') nor Désiré Doué (29') managed to double the lead in the first half. After the break, the pressure from the capital club increased, with the northern side forced to defend in their own half. Nuno Mendes, who was as active as ever on the left wing, thought he had got the second goal of the game, but his effort was ruled out for an offside at the start of the move (57').
With their backs against the wall, Lille finally cracked when Ousmane Dembélé, surrounded by three Lille players, beat Berke Özer with a sumptuous lob that brought the Parc des Princes crowd to its feet (2-0, 64'). LOSC seemed unable to to turn the tide and put the Parisian defence under pressure. On the contrary, it was Les Rouge et Bleu who continued to dominate, with Désiré Doué taking advantage of Gonçalo Ramos's good work in the opposition box to try his luck and force the Lille goalkeeper into action (80').
But the icing on the cake came courtesy of Bradley Barcola, who was rewarded for his energetic introduction when he dispossessed Aïssa Mandi in his own box and beat Özer with a left-footed shot at the near post (3-0, 90+3). At the end of an exciting match, Paris Saint-Germain asserted their dominance over LOSC, helped by the inspired performance of Ousmane Dembélé, who scored twice. With Lens hosting Auxerre on Saturday, Paris provisionally take top spot in Ligue 1.
