A superb Lionel Messi aim helped Paris Saint-Germain to a 3-1 residence win over Lens on Saturday to absolutely finish any doubt concerning the end result of this season’s Ligue 1 title race, after an early sending-off left the guests with a mountain to climb.
Lens, which started the day six factors behind league chief PSG in second place, appeared like the higher group till Ghana midfielder Salis Abdul Samed was dismissed for a harmful problem on Achraf Hakimi within the nineteenth minute.
That modified the whole lot, and by half-time, the hosts have been out of sight thanks to 3 targets within the house of 10 minutes from Kylian Mbappe, Vitinha after which Messi, with Przemyslaw Frankowski pulling one again for Lens from a penalty.
Mbappe opened the scoring, and Vitinha’s long-ranger doubled PSG’s lead within the thirty seventh minute. Mbappe reached one other landmark as his first-half strike towards Lens made him Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time prime scorer in Ligue 1 historical past, with 139 targets.
Both targets have been good however Messi’s that made it 3-0 was merely gorgeous, the Argentine discovering a pocket out of house exterior the world, feeding a cross to Mbappe after which receiving the France striker’s backheel return earlier than slotting the ball past goalkeeper Brice Samba, and into the far nook.
The outcome leaves the reigning champion 9 factors forward with seven video games left, which means it’s absolutely only a matter of time till PSG secures a French file eleventh league title.
It comes on the finish of per week overshadowed by allegations of racism towards Christophe Galtier, the coach of the Qatar-owned membership who had already been below stress since its elimination from the Champions League final month.
Galtier mentioned on Friday that he was “deeply shocked” by accusations that he made racist and Islamophobic remarks about Nice gamers when he was in cost there final season.
The allegations surfaced in an e mail despatched by former Nice sporting director Julien Fournier and have been reported by varied French media.
PSG has given its assist to Galtier, who has obtained threats because the allegations appeared, however the affair seems set to hold over the coach and the membership within the coming weeks.
Mbappe on course
Lens hoped to make the most of the leaders’ issues and prolong a four-match successful run that had obtained the northern membership’s supporters dreaming of a primary league title since 1998.
They triumphed 3-1 when the groups final met in Lens on January 1, they usually began the higher of the 2 sides on the Parc des Princes, the place PSG had misplaced their final two video games.
Yet their enterprising opening didn’t deliver a aim they usually have been severely handicapped when Abdul Samed noticed purple for catching Hakimi along with his studs above the ankle.
It was then torn aside with Mbappe firing in off the publish on the flip from Vitinha’s cross for his twentieth league aim this season, the primary for his membership in additional than a month.
Vitinha then smashed in his first aim in a PSG shirt earlier than Messi took centre stage.
The Argentine’s twentieth membership aim of the marketing campaign was additionally arguably his most interesting in two years in a PSG shirt, simply as he comes in the direction of what often is the finish of his time in France.
Lens deserves credit score for regrouping within the second-half and pulling a aim again when Frankowski transformed from the spot after a Fabian Ruiz handball.
Belgian worldwide Lois Openda remained a menace up entrance for Lens but it surely was left with an excessive amount of to do and can now deal with attempting to carry onto a spot within the prime three and Champions League qualification for subsequent season.
Marseille can transfer above Lens into second, and trim PSG’s result in eight factors, with a win towards Troyes on Sunday.
Fourth-placed Monaco will likely be simply two factors behind Lens if it beats Lorient on Sunday –- it then visits Lens subsequent weekend.
