PSG Extends Ligue 1 Lead with 3-2 Win Over Lyon

Image credits: AFP

Paris Saint-Germain extended its lead in Ligue 1 following a 3-2 victory at Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday, courtesy of Achraf Hakimi’s double and an Ousmane Dembele strike in the second half. PSG, which remains unbeaten in the league, stretched its winning streak in all competitions to eight games while moving on to 59 points, 13 clear of second-placed Olympique de Marseille, which was beaten 3-0 at Auxerre on Saturday. The team's performance was impressive, with Hakimi scoring twice and Dembele adding another goal to his tally.

After a fairly uneventful first half, the champion found its way through a resilient Lyon defence eight minutes after the break when Hakimi slotted a powerful shot into the bottom corner, off a fine Bradley Barcola cross. Ligue 1’s top scorer Dembele doubled PSG’s lead six minutes later with a great curling shot into the far corner after a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia pass, marking his 17th league goal of the season. The host pulled a goal back in the 83rd minute thanks to a Rayan Cherki goal from inside the six-yard box, but Hakimi thwarted any chance of a comeback by bagging his brace to seal the win just two minutes later. The team's strategy and tactics played a crucial role in their victory.

The defeat leaves Lyon in sixth place, the Europa Conference League qualifying spot, with 36 points. PSG coach Luis Enrique praised his team for another dominant performance, but acknowledged they lost control of the match against sixth-placed Lyon after twice taking a two-goal lead, having to defend their advantage until the very end. The team's next match is against fourth-tier Saint-Brieuc in the French Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, before hosting Lille in Ligue 1 next weekend. Here are the match scores:

• PSG: 3
• Lyon: 2

The standings are as follows:

• PSG: 59 points
• Olympique de Marseille: 46 points
• Nice: 43 points

PSG have won 18, drawn five and lost none of 23 domestic league outings this season and are a huge 13 points clear of nearest chasers Marseille at the top of the table. They have not lost a domestic game this season and have not been beaten at all by French opposition since a 3-1 defeat at home to Toulouse last May. The team's momentum is expected to continue in the upcoming matches.

Lyon, meanwhile, remain sixth but have now lost two of their four matches under new coach Paulo Fonseca. This result is a blow to their hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League as they now sit five points adrift of the top four. The team's performance was disappointing, and they will need to improve their strategy to achieve their goals. The Ligue 1 standings are:

1. PSG
2. Olympique de Marseille
3. Nice
4. Lille
5. Monaco

lyon psg ligue achraf hakimi ousmane dembele extend courtesy marseille