Paris, Feb 22: Paris Saint Germain returned to the top of the French league thanks to a favor from Champions League playoff opponent Monaco.
Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos scored for PSG to defeat last-place Metz 3-0 and capitalize on Monaco’s earlier 3-2 win over previous leader Lens.
PSG moved two points clear of Lens with 11 rounds to play.
Lens had moved top the previous weekend with a 5-0 rout of promoted Paris FC while PSG lost 3-1 at Rennes.
But Lens’ hopes of a prolonged stay at the summit were dealt a bitter blow Saturday after it squandered a comfortable two-goal lead and conceded three goals to Metz after the hour-mark.
Lens stunned
Odsonne Edouard scored early with a volley for Lens and Florian Thauvin converted the rebound after Monaco goalkeeper Philipp Kohn could only parry a deflected shot early in the second half.
That was as good as it got for the home team.
United States forward Folarin Balogun scored against the run of play in the 62nd, Denis Zakaria equalized in the 70th and Ansu Fati pounced on another defensive blunder to make it 3-2 two minutes after that.
It was quite the reversal for Monaco, which led PSG 2-0 in the first leg of their Champions League playoff on Tuesday after two goals from Balogun, only to lose 3-2. Lens’ evening was summed up when Saud Abdulhamid was booked for diving instead of getting a penalty that he felt he deserved.
PSG responds
Metz must have feared a rout when Doue scored after just two minutes of play after Warren Zaire-Emery played a long ball in behind the high line of Metz defenders.
Ramos played the ball across goal for Barcola to head the second before the break.
The home team played it safe after it, when it failed to register a shot on target until Ramos got the third in the 77th.PSG could arguably have scored more but seemed more intent on conserving energy for Wednesday’s rendezvous with Monaco for the second leg of their Champions League playoff in Paris. The winner will go on to face Barcelona or Chelsea in the round of 16.Also Saturday, Argentine teenager Julian Vignolo scored late as a substitute for mid-table Toulouse to draw 1-1 with promoted Paris FC. With 11 matches still to play, the momentum has swung once more in a title race that refuses to settle. PSG’s clinical response, combined with Lens’ dramatic collapse, has restored the champions’ grip at the summit and injected fresh belief into their run-in. Yet the margins remain slim, and the coming weeks — split between domestic duties and high-stakes European nights — will test squad depth, focus and temperament. (AP)
