Back with a bang!

The context
After second-placed Lille's win at Caen the day before (3-1), it was time for the leaders to get back into action. They headed to the Stade de la Licorne looking for a seventh win in nine L1 trips. Amiens, beaten 5-0 in the team's first meeting this season, had failed to win any of their last four home league games...

The key moments
There was an air of deja vu: an opponent defending deep in front of their own penalty area and only rarely crossing the halfway line. It was a little like Guingamp just three days earlier...Just like against the Bretons, the capital club was held goalless at the break (0-0), and there was the conundrum of how to break through a well-drilled defence and find a way past an inspired Régis Gurtner. A foot shot out to block a Julian Draxler shot (8'), smothering at the feet of Kylian Mbappé (16'), an Angel Di Maria effort turned over the crossbar...the Amiens goalkeeper was the reason the half-time scoreline was 0-0. His opposite number, Alphonse Areola, was called into action just once, denying Eddy Gnahore from close range (45').

Finally, the Parisians unpicked the lock. After Wednesday's drama, it was ironic the breakthrough came from the penalty spot through Edinson Cavani (0-1, 57'). Amiens then suffered another blow as Khaled Adenon was sent off for bringing down Mbappé (66'). The Paris prodigy compounded the hosts' troubles by adding the second himself (0-2, 70') and - in so doing - moved ahead of Lille's Nicolas Pepe with his 14th of the league season (from just 13 matches...). It earned him a standing ovation from the Licorne crowd when he was substituted ten minutes from time, and just 60 seconds after Marquinhos had made it three (0-3, 79'). For the first time since the 4-0 win in Monaco in mid-November, Paris Saint-Germain had scored three times in a league game.

A Parisian in the match: Edinson Cavani
Of course, it had to be Edi. The first Paris league goalscorer of 2019, El Matador has now scored six of his team's last 12 L1 goals. After registering his 11th league goal of the campaign, the Uruguay international also added his first 2018/19 assist.

The word: Penalty
It was definitely the theme of the week...By sending Gurtner the wrong way (57'), Cavani showed the sang froid that has now brought him 23 goals in 27 attempts from the spot in all competitions. It came against Amiens, the team that has conceded the most penalties in L1 this season (6).

Coming up
The Rouge-et-Bleu now have a full week to prepare for their next game...which comes against a familiar foe. Next Saturday (kick-off 17:00CET), the capital club will host Guingamp in a Coupe de la Ligue quarter-final remake. It'll also be a chance to make it ten wins from as many home games in L1 this season...