Parisians ruthless as title looms!
Before returning to Ligue 1 action at the Parc des Princes at the end of the week, Paris Saint-Germain had a league fixture on Wednesday at Le Moustoir. Faced with a valiant Lorient side, the Parisians recorded a clear-cut 4-1 victory in their rescheduled Ligue 1 Round 29 clash. Here's a look back at a victory that pushed Les Rouge et Bleu closer to the title!
Three days after their scintillating 4-1 victory over Olympique Lyonnais, the Parisians were back in league action looking to roll on in Lorient and move a step closer to the title. To do so, the capital club had to overcome a Brittany side fighting for their top-flight survival.
Faced with a Lorient side desperate to pick up points in a packed Stade du Moustoir, the trip to Morbihan was not going to be an easy one for Les Rouge et Bleu. So, in a bid to secure a third win in eight days, Luis Enrique opted to hand Milan Skriniar a start in central defence and young Yoram Zague a second start on the right flank. In midfield, Fabian Ruiz played a holding role behind Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-In, while Ousmane Dembélé and Kylian Mbappé flanked Gonçalo Ramos up front.
Right from the start, Lorient set the tone with their desire and technical ability. The stage was set, and although the Parisians came close to being punished when Ayman Kari's shot ended up going just wide (12'), Les Rouge et Bleu fired back a few minutes later through Kylian Mbappé, whose shot from the edge of the area was parried by Yvon Mvogo after Ousmane Dembélé had won the ball high up the pitch (17').
Dembélé then took matters into his own hands, skipping past Isaak Touré and Julien Laporte to get on his left foot and unleash a delightful curling shot that finished in the bottom corner of the net (0-1, 19'). A reinvigorated Parisian team was cruelly effective, and Nuno Mendes' run down the flank allowed Kylian Mbappé to collect the ball six yards out and finish off the move himself with a sensationally subtle left-foot finish (0-2, 22').
With their backs against the wall, Les Merlus tried to respond, looking to Imran Louza to spark a revolt with a powerful shot that just missed the target (28'). The Moroccan international did not give up, however, and a few moments later he was on hand to set up Tiémoué Bakayoko perfectly for a corner, forcing Gigio Donnarumma into a miraculous save off the line (31'). After a fast-paced first half-hour, Paris maintained their grip on the match by keeping possession of the ball against a willing but not always clinical Lorient side. As a result, the capital club went into the break with a comfortable two-goal lead.
In the second half, the Parisians had to be patient to create gaps in the Lorient rearguard. Thus they had to rely on the Kylian Mbappé/Ousmane Dembélé tandem, which was brilliant this evening, to make the difference once again. The Parisian No.7 first held off the imposing Nathaniel Adjei before skinning him in spectacular fashion and picking out Dembélé to tap into an empty net and score his first brace in a Parisian shirt (0-3, 60')!
Although Lorient were out of their depth, they did their best to respond - but Gianluigi Donnarumma was alert to Benjamin Mendy's dangerous cross for Eli Junior Kroupi (66'). Unfortunately, the Paris goalkeeper was powerless to save a thumping header from Lorient top scorer Mohamed Bamba that reduced the deficit (1-3, 73'). It was a goal that gave the home side hope, but the Parisians withstood the Breton waves; when Panos Katseris fired in another shot, Gigio Donnarumma put his hand - and, more importantly, his leg - to the good use to prevent Lorient from getting back into the game (80').
In a breathless final period, Les Rouge et Bleu were forced to continue fighting, and young Ethan Mbappé came close to scoring his first-ever professional goal after being set up by his older brother (84'). With the clock ticking down and the two sides going back and forth, Randal Kolo Muani set up Kylian Mbappé, who again beat Nathaniel Adjei, firing home a surgical shot that sealed the Parisians' victory (1-4, 90')!
At the end of a particularly intense encounter, Les Rouge et Bleu claimed a second successive league victory and consolidated their position at the top of the table, 14 points clear of AS Monaco, who play host to Lille on Wednesday evening. And if Monaco fail to beat Lille, Paris Saint-Germain will be crowned champions of France this evening! Should they fail to do so, the Parisians will have another chance when they face Normandy side Le Havre AC in their Ligue 1 Round 30 clash at the Parc des Princes on Saturday (21:00). The date is set and a 12th title beckons!