PSG crowned French champions again after win at second-placed Lens
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LENS, France, May 13 : Paris St Germain secured a fifth successive Ligue 1 title, beating nearest challengers Lens 2-0 away in their penultimate match of the league season on Wednesday.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored after 29 minutes and substitute Ibrahim Mbaye added a stoppage-time strike to see PSG advance to 76 points, out of the reach of Lens, who are assured of second place on 67 points.
The championship is PSG’s 14th Ligue 1 title and strengthens their status as the most successful club in French league history.
The Parisians, who will play in the Champions League final later this month, were all but assured of the title going into the fixture with a six-point lead over Lens and a vastly superior goal difference but needed one more point to make sure.
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But they needed a series of dramatic saves from goalkeeper Matvey Safonov to ensure victory as their hosts had several good opportunities to win the game in an electric atmosphere at Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
Lens had a 20th-minute header from Adrien Thomasson cleared off the PSG line by Illia Zabarnyi but nine minutes later Ousmane Dembele stole the ball from Lens defender Malang Sarr and put a quick pass through for Kvaratskhelia to hammer home from point-blank range.
After that, the best opportunities fell for Lens, but Safonov made a series of sharp stops to deny both Wesley Said and Abdallah Sima, who then struck the post in the 73rd minute to add to the home frustrations.
Teenager Mbaye hit an impressive strike on the counter attack to score PSG’s second goal at the end of the game and give more gloss to the scoreline.
PSG had travelled with a severely depleted squad. Lucas Chevalier, Achraf Hakimi, Lee Kang-in, Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho and Warren Zaire-Emery were all unavailable through injury.
PSG finish their season with a derby away against Paris FC on Sunday and then defend their Champions League crown against Arsenal in Budapest on May 30.
Lens, whose coach Pierre Sage was voted Coach of the Year by his peers this week, complete their league campaign away at fourth-placed Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday and then play Nice in the French Cup final at the Stade de France in Paris on May 22. Lens will compete in next season’s Champions League.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Toby Davis)
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