Clearly, this Paris Saint-Germain version 2025 seems unsinkable. For its fourth match since the start of the new calendar year, PSG won on the lawn of Racing Club de Lens (2-1) during the 18th day of Ligue 1. In a Félix Bollaert-Delelis stadium ready to bring down the reigning French champion, the Sang-et-Or opened the scoring to lead at the break. Returning with better intentions after returning from the locker room, Luis Enrique's men turned the situation around thanks to achievements from Fabian Ruiz and Bradley Barcola.
In the general classification, the Parisians are provisionally ten points ahead of their runner-up from Marseille. Now it's time for the Champions League and the reception of Manchester City…
It was not an easy feat on paper, but Paris Saint-Germain ultimately became sovereign in Lens. Undefeated in the first leg of this 2024-2025 French championship, the title holder's mission was to maintain the course at the top of the ranking and obtain three new points with the aim of confirming its sporting domination in France. At the start of this meeting, Luis Enrique entrusted the captain's armband to Gianluigi Donnarumma. Without his executives Marquinhos, Achraf Hakimi and Ousmane Dembélé, the Asturian coach quickly faced a Lens team very generous in physical effort.
Before “Kvara”, Barcola passer then scorer
If Fabian Ruiz initiated the first strike of the match repelled by Hervé Koffi (13th), PSG's excessive ball possession lacked sufficient intensity to allow his team to open the scoring in Artois. On a set piece, RC Lens did not miss the opportunity to shake the net through M'Bala N'Zola, alone at the far post (37th, 1-0). With only one shot on target in the first period, Paris did not produce a satisfactory enough copy to reach the locker room without a goal to go back.
-From then on, Luis Enrique's choices during the second period influenced the outcome of the game. Slowly but surely, Paris stepped on the accelerator to crush the local team in two stages. Launched in depth, Barcola lost his first duel against Koffi (53rd). But he did not miss his decisive pass to Fabian Ruiz for the equalizer (59th, 1-1).
In the process, the entries of Gonçalo Ramos and João Neves brought some edge to the Parisian offensives. If Hervé Koffi avoided PSG's second goal on a shot from Désiré Doué in relay with Ramos (78th), Barcola was able to count on a pass from Neves to achieve a magnificent sequence and score the winning goal (86th, 1-2) .
And defensively? Paris held on thanks to a great Donnarumma, author of an XXL parade in front of Jonathan Gradit (81st). In Ligue 1, Paris is undefeated in 33 away matches. This is not a statistic to be overused, but it is not enough to ensure the future of the capital club in the Champions League. The upcoming match against City will be the start of an answer.
