Dembele Double Sends PSG Top as Monaco Stumble at Home
- Ousmane Dembele fired Paris Saint-Germain to the summit of Ligue 1 with a dominant win over Lille, while Monaco suffered a damaging home defeat as Lorient struck late to claim all three points.
Paris Saint-Germain moved to the top of the Ligue 1 table after a convincing 3-0 victory over Lille at the Parc des Princes, with Ousmane Dembele producing a ruthless display that underlined PSG’s title credentials.
Lille nearly shocked the hosts inside the opening minutes when Olivier Giroud attempted to chip the advancing goalkeeper, only for his effort to crash against the crossbar and bounce clear. That miss proved costly, as PSG gradually tightened their grip on the contest.
The breakthrough came in the 13th minute. After neat work in midfield, Dembele received the ball on the edge of the box, shifted it onto his left foot and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner, the effort kissing the post on its way in. PSG dominated possession from that point, controlling the tempo while Lille looked to counter.
After the break, the home side stepped up a gear. Dembele struck again in the 64th minute with a moment of pure class, twisting past defenders inside the area before delicately lifting the ball over the goalkeeper to double PSG’s advantage. Lille struggled to respond as PSG continued to pile on the pressure.
In stoppage time, Bradley Barcola completed the scoring after pouncing on a defensive error, calmly slotting home to seal a comprehensive win that sent PSG to the top of the standings.
Elsewhere in Ligue 1, Monaco endured a frustrating night at Stade Louis II as they fell 3-1 to Lorient in a match that turned dramatically in the final quarter.
The hosts had chances to break the deadlock in the first half but were repeatedly denied by Lorient goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo. The breakthrough eventually came for the visitors in the 68th minute when Bamba Dieng finished from close range to stun the home crowd.
Monaco responded quickly, with Ansu Fati equalising eight minutes later after reacting fastest inside the box to restore hope for the hosts. However, that momentum was short-lived.
Lorient struck twice in quick succession late on. Jean-Victor Makengo restored their lead in the 85th minute with a composed finish, before Dermane Karim wrapped it up on the counter two minutes later, firing into the top corner to condemn Monaco to a painful home defeat.
The contrasting results saw PSG strengthen their position at the summit, while Monaco were left to reflect on another missed opportunity as the Ligue 1 title race continues to take shape.
