Building on its exploit in Barcelona, and without Kylian Mbappé left on the bench, Paris SG crushed Lyon (4-1) on Sunday to close the 30th day of Ligue 1, getting closer to the title that it could win on Wednesday after his match in Lorient. With 66 points, the Parisians sit above their runners-up from Monaco (55) and Brest (53). They will be champions if they win in Lorient on Wednesday in a late match of the 29th day (7 p.m.) and if Monaco does not imitate them two hours later against Lille. Lyon (41 points) must for its part give up 7th place to Rennes, winner of Nantes on Saturday.
Kylian Mbappé on the bench, a situation that has become commonplace
Sunday evening, for one of the emblematic posters of the championship, PSG did not let any suspense build up against a team which, however, had an excellent second half of the season and had just scored 10 victories in its last 13 matches in all competitions. And this, without Kylian Mbappé, whose playing time has been cut by Luis Enrique in Ligue 1 since he announced his departure this summer to the club’s leaders. The superstar was placed on the bench, a situation unthinkable before this season but now commonplace.
Paris struck hard from the start, forcing experienced Lyon midfielder Nemanja Matic to deceive his own goalkeeper by cutting out a cross from Marco Asensio (3rd). Just three minutes later, Brazilian defender Lucas Beraldo doubled the lead from a corner. After the dangerous raids of Warren Zaire-Emery (15) and Bradley Barcola (18), Paris took off with an angry header from Gonçalo Ramos taking back a cross from Achraf Hakimi (32).
PSG largely rotated
The Lyonnais had the merit of not giving up and Gianluigi Donnarumma had to work to deflect a strike from Rayan Cherki (8) then Alexandre Lacazette (24). And the Rhone residents managed to reduce the score by Ernest Nuamah who went around the Parisian wall to unleash a nice low shot from outside the area (37th). Two minutes later, last summer’s rookie hit the post with a shot from a similar position.
But five days after its landmark victory in Barcelona to qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions League, PSG gave off an impression of great confidence – in the absence of tightness behind. And he continued to unfold his domination, materialized by a new goal from Gonçalo Ramos before half-time, on a counter initiated by an individual exploit from Vitinha (42nd).
After the break, the pace of the match dropped. Maxence Caqueret could have once again exposed the flaws in the Parisian defense but, at point blank range, shot Donnarumma (63rd). And Danilo intervened with authority on another long shot (76th).
Unconcerned about seeing the Lyonnais return, Luis Enrique rotated widely, with the aim of sparing a group which will play two other Ligue 1 matches (Lorient and Le Havre) before the first leg of its Ligue 1 semi-final. champions against Dortmund on May 1. One of PSG’s other objectives of the season, the Coupe de France, will be the opportunity for a revenge for the Lyonnais, during the final on May 25.