Paris win at Lyon and pull away in the league

The marathon of matches continues for Paris Saint-Germain, who are juggling all competitions. After the Champions League and just days before the return of the Coupe de France, a Ligue 1 showdown awaited our Rouge et Bleu in Lyon this Sunday.

The unveiling of the starting eleven is always highly anticipated, and for this marquee clash on Matchday 23, Luis Enrique made some notable choices. Beraldo took Pacho’s place in central defence, Vitinha and Neves lined up in midfield alongside Doué, while the attacking trio featured Kvara, Barcola and Dembélé.

Facing an Olympique Lyonnais side undergoing a rebuild under their new coach Paulo Fonseca, PSG, brimming with confidence in recent weeks, quickly took control of the game. Possession was largely dominated by the Rouge et Bleu, and it was the league's current top scorer, Ousmane Dembélé, who sparked the first danger. Sent through on goal, the Parisian number 10 dribbled past Perri on the edge of the box and seemed poised to finish into an empty net. However, Mata made a last-ditch intervention, clearing the ball off the line and crashing into the post in a true display of sacrifice (12').

Then, ten minutes later, Kvaratskhelia put on a monumental display. Set up by Barcola right in the heart of the box, the Georgian weaved through several Lyon defenders. With dazzling footwork, he delivered a powerful cross-shot that flashed past Perri, but Dembélé, lurking like a true poacher (showing yet another string to his bow), narrowly missed connecting with the ball by just a few centimetres (25’).

Donnarumma stepped into the spotlight around the half-hour mark. The Italian goalkeeper expertly protected his near post to thwart a Lyon counter-attack, denying Kumbedi, who had pushed forward to join the attack (29’). The end of the first half was more subdued, but the second half kicked off with much more intensity, featuring fierce duels on both sides. The hosts tried to contain the Parisians and catch them on the counter, which Nuamah nearly accomplished. However, Mendes' crucial intervention in his own box not only averted danger but also set the stage for Paris' opening goal.

It was with the very next move that Doué delivered a perfect pass to Barcola, to break through the defence. The Parisian number 29 took his time to cross and found Hakimi, who finished with a precise side-footed strike into the far corner (0-1, 53'). The breakthrough had arrived, and Les Parisiens quickly seized control, even doubling their lead moments later. Dembélé, brilliantly set up with a one-touch pass by Kvara, slipped through the defence and found space 20 metres out. He curled a stunning left-footed effort that left Perri helpless—Ousmane's 24th goal of the season, continuing his incredible form (0-2, 59').

While the attackers shined, our goalkeeper was not to be outdone. Tessmann attempted a long-range strike to give Lyon hope in the final half-hour, but Gigio Donnarumma stretched out and produced a magnificent save (65'). However, he couldn’t stop Cherki, who managed to pull one back late in the game, briefly suggesting a possible comeback (1-2, 83'). That hope was quickly extinguished by the visitors, who immediately pushed forward again and netted a third goal, courtesy of Hakimi, securing his brace. Ramos executed a delightful drag-back in the Lyon box, feeding Lee, who in turn set up Achraf. The wing-back calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner with a composed finish, leaving Perri helpless once again (1-3, 85').

Everything was impressive—the pressing, technical precision, defensive strength, mentality, physical sharpness and vision. All the ingredients were there for yet another PSG victory, despite Tolisso’s late goal giving Lyon one last glimmer of hope (2-3, 90’+2). Les Parisiens showed tremendous solidarity in the final moments and the score remained unchanged.

The incredible run continues! the Rouge et Bleu extended their unbeaten away run to 36 matches and remain undefeated this season after 23 games. With tonight’s win, they now hold a 13-point lead over second-place Marseille, who suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat at Auxerre on Saturday. It’s the perfect reason to look to the future with confidence!