Paris Saint-Germain have their first win of the campaign – and for Lens, the rut goes on. In the biggest clash of the Ligue 1 campaign so far – between last year’s top two – a Kylian Mbappé-led PSG saw off an ineffective and beleaguered Sang et Or side, who are still struggling to replicate the form they showed in the second half of last season.
Last year’s fixture between the two title rivals, back in April, saw the result all but wrapped up by half-time, as Salis Abdul Samed’s red card was followed by a three-goal blitz by the hosts. This time, it was a more even affair – although the champions proved to be especially incisive on the counter, Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé impressing on their first starts of the campaign.
The opening goal would come just before the break, from another one of PSG’s new arrivals in Marco Asensio, who was deputising up front for Gonçalo Ramos. Vitinha’s drive forward from midfield saw the ball fall to Warren Zaïre-Emery – the 17-year-old found Asensio on the edge of the box, and the Spaniard unleashed a low shot into the bottom left corner past Brice Samba.
It wouldn’t take long for the visitors to double their lead after half-time – this time, a one-two down the left wing between Lucas Hernandez and Kylian Mbappé before the Frenchman finished emphatically into the top left corner.
The ensuing half-hour of action would be an exercise in game management for the champions – not even Elye Wahi’s debut off the bench could give Lens more of an attacking edge. Mbappé would eventually get his double with a late deflected goal, after a cross from Fabián Ruiz, while Morgan Guilavogui would pull one back for Lens just before the final whistle.
It will undoubtedly be worrying to Franck Haise that his team was more combative and incisive in last year’s fixture, when they were down to ten for most of the game. They are now winless in three, and last year’s exploits look increasingly distant.
Gianluigi Donnarumma, 7
Achraf Hakimi, 6
Marquinhos, 6
Lucas Hernández, 7
Milan Škriniar, 6
Manuel Ugarte, 7
Vitinha, 7 – A confident display from the Portuguese midfielder, who was able to wriggle out of the tightest situations, even with two or three Lens players surrounding him. It was his drive forward that led to the first goal, and he was at his
Warren Zaïre-Emery, 6
Kylian Mbappé, 8 – The forward was welcomed back by the Parc des Princes faithful with open arms – as if his contract extension stand-off with the club had never happened – and did not disappoint in his first start of the campaign. He constantly cut through the Lens defence with ease and looked to combine with his (new) teammates as much as possible – showing a slighly more collective slant in his game than what fans have been accustomed to. Scored his second goal of the campaign – his 150th for PSG in Ligue 1 – with an emphatic finish from the edge of the box.
Marco Asensio, 6
Ousmane Dembélé, 6 – PSG’s new number ten was a constant threat down the right wing, and his understanding on and off the pitch with Kylian Mbappé is already proving to be a game-changer up front. Almost always beat his defender on the dribble, but – as has often been the case during his career – his end product was somewhat lacking in accuracy.
Brice Samba, 4
Jonathan Gradit, 5
Kevin Danso, 6 – Lens’ best player of the evening – some characteristically impressive defensive anticipation and reading, as well as a block on the line in the first half.
Facundo Medina, 4
Przemysław Frankowski, 4
Salis Abdul Samed, 4 – The midfielder went off at half-time due to an injury he sustained just before the opening goal, replaced by Stijn Spierings.
Andy Diouf, 5
Deiver Machado, 5
Adrien Thomasson, 4
Florian Sotoca, 4
Angelo Fulgini, 5
GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin