Paris only needed one point from their trip to Lens to officially clinch the Ligue 1 title, but Luis Enrique and his side were determined to celebrate in style with another win over the second-placed opposition.
The coach made several changes to the starting XI, with an eye on the final of the UEFA Champions League on 30 May, but the message was clear: PSG had come to Bollaert-Delelis to win. Safonov in goal, with Zabarnyi and Beraldo in the centre of defence, and Hernandez and Mayulu in the full-back roles. Doué, Neves and Dro comprised the midfield, behind a front three of Kvara, Barcola and captain for the night Dembélé – his first time wearing the armband in Ligue 1, having previously worn it in the Coupe de France.
Dro was the first to send a scare through the Bollaert crowd with a fine, low drive that flew just centimetres wide of Risser’s left-hand post (7’). Both teams played with great intensity and fluid passing, before Lens reminded everyone why they are sitting second in the table. The home side carved out several clear-cut chances, with Edouard (18’), Saïd (21’) and Sima (38’), all denied by an imperious Safonov!
Les Rouge et Bleu finally broke the deadlock just before the half-hour, with Dembélé dispossessing Sarr and then providing a delightful little ball over the defence to Kvara. The Georgian charged forward and beat Risser with a powerful right-footed shot across goal, and Paris were in front (0-1, 29’). As the two sides headed to the half-time interval, it still took another outstanding Safonov save, denying Saïd from point-blank range, to keep his side ahead (45+1).
Matvey was again called into action just after the break, producing another point-blank save – from Edouard this time (46'). The pace began to slacken in the second half, with the home side deflated by their missed chances. Sima even hit the post just as the game headed into the final quarter of an hour (75’).
Lens put up a valiant fight; they are an attractive side who might have hoped for a different outcome in this match, but they were punished once more right at the death, following a Parisian counter-attack in which Doué cut the ball back to Mbaye, and the Senegal international fired a clinical first-time shot in off the underside of Risser’s crossbar to double the lead (0-2, 90+3’).
The win confirming what we already knew to 99.9%, that Paris have won the 14th French Ligue 1 title in their history, before, we hope, more wonderful and thrilling moments in the weeks to come!
