Paris and Lille all square

A top-of-the-table clash was on the menu for our Parisians after an eventul week, with the festive season just around the corner. After 8 consecutive wins in Ligue 1, the capital club had the opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the table. To do so, they had to overcome Lille in what was sure to be a tricky encounter. For the game, Luis Enrique went for an all-new starting line-up, with the lively Ousmane Dembélé back in attack alongside Kylian Mbappé and Bradley Barcola, while Warren Zaïre-Emery started again.

A real tactical battle was in store between two sides with similar playing styles and the start of the match only confirmed this. The two teams did not shy away from each other, with real attacking intent and a desire to control. But after a short period of getting to grips with the game, it was the Parisians who took control of the ball, separating the two sides with the highest rates of possession in the top flight.
Although the Red and Blues were able to create chances with their possession, they were unable to find the breakthrough in the first half. Ousmane Dembélé was inches away from finding the net with a shot that was just a little too wide (20'), before Vitinha saw his powerful shot saved by Lucas Chevalier (36').

Boosted by the break, Les Dogues tried to respond after the interval. Paulo Fonseca's men had a strong spell and had a number of chances in quick succession, but neither Gomes nor Yazici could beat Arnau Tenas. The Rouge et Bleu were soon back in the game, putting the pressure on Lille to the point of breaking them down, leading to a Diakité foul on Lucas Hernandez in the box. Kylian Mbappé stepped up to convert the spot-kick and give Paris the lead (0-1, 67'). In the process, our goalscorer extended his lead at the top of the scorers' charts with his 16th league goal!

The home side were undeterred by the opening goal and were determined to take advantage of the final 20 minutes to turn things around at the Stade Pierre Mauroy. Despite Arnau Tenas doing his utmost to maintain the lead and resist the relentless pressure in the closing stages, the Spanish goalkeeper's efforts were ultimately not enough. In the end, Jonathan David found the net in the dying seconds of the match from a rebound (1-1, 90'+4).

In a match of the highest quality against an ambitious and tough opponent, Paris Saint-Germain extended their unbeaten run with a frustrating draw. Nevertheless, the result means that the Rouge et Bleu continue to lead the way in Ligue 1. There will be one last push to make when they take on Metz on Wednesday, in a packed Parc des Princes just a few days before the festive season, even if Paris have already secured their honorary title of autumn champions... The date is set.