Paris take honours in top-of-the-table clash!

Paris were hungry on this spring evening. The capital club were in a sprint to the top, and determined not to leave any more crumbs for their rivals. A week after breaking Nice's unbeaten run, they were up against another big name: RC Lens. After piling the pressure on the Parisians since their reverse-fixture win in January, the Northerners travelled to Paris with a knife between their teeth. But Christophe Galtier, determined to look them in the eye, concocted a formidable starting XI - including the unstoppable attacking duo of Mbappé and Messi - to face them.

The 22 players present on the pitch had to step up to the challenge of this massive match and did so with due intensity! The first few minutes confirmed it: our Rouge et Bleu were not going to have the slightest respite in either penalty area. As if to remind us of this, Gigio Donnarumma was the first to make a save, from Abdul Samed's powerful header (1'). It was a way for Lens to announce their attacking intent... and Paris duly responded to regain the upper hand. It is often said that you can make your own luck. And once they had shifted up a gear, their task was made easier by the red card for Lens' Abdul Samed after his dangerous tackle on Achraf Hakimi. And who better than Kylian Mbappé to get the ball rolling?

Set up by Leo Messi, the French World Cup winner controlled the ball in the box before pivoting and unleashing a sudden shot that crashed in off the far post (1-0, 31')! In doing so, Kylian became Paris Saint-Germain's all-time top scorer in Ligue 1 with 139 goals - but also completed his bingo card by finally scoring against Lens - the only club that had eluded him!

The match then shifted into another dimension. A few moments later, Vitinha, from more than 25 meters away, fired a wonderful floating shot past Samba for the breakthrough goal, sending the Parc des Princes into jubilation (2-0, 36'). It was the Portuguese midfielder's first goal for Paris Saint-Germain. A cannon shot before the coup de grace! In the very next minute, it was Leo Messi who deceived the Sang et Or goalkeeper with a victorious angled shot following a sublime one-two with Mbappé, whose exceptional back-heel brought the fans to their feet (3-0, 37'). With these three goals in a row, our Rouge et Bleu really mixed style with their ruthless efficiency!

Of course, the pressure continued after this first successful half, and the visitors had not said their last word. Frankowski pulled one back from the spot (3-1, 60') but Les Rouge et Bleu did not lose the thread. Alternating beautiful possession sequences with lightning changes of pace, the Parisians executed their plan well in an entertaining end to the game. There were opportunities for both sides, with one crazy minute featuring Achraf Hakimi's dangerous effort (77') in response to Frankowski's shot that hadn't found a away past Gigio Donnarumma (76').

It was a great game of football. A fierce battle in which Christophe Galtier's men offered us all the ingredients of a top-of-the-table clash: frenetic duels, fearsome runs, electric rivalry and magical flashes of brilliance. Until the end, Les Rouge et Bleu kept their precious advantage against a valiant opponent to ensure this very important victory. At the end of this spectacular match, Paris Saint-Germain hit hard by increasing the gap at the top of the standings, with nine points ahead of their opponents on the evening. Mission accomplished. With distinction.