PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN maintained their perfect start to the Ligue 1 season with a 2-0 victory over Lens at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.
Bradley Barcola scored both goals for the reigning champions, who secured their fourth consecutive win to return to the top of the table.
The match presented further injury concerns for coach Luis Enrique ahead of PSG’s Champions League defence next week.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Lee Kang-in, and Lucas Beraldo all left the pitch with injuries during the contest.
They joined star attackers Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue on the treatment table after both picked up knocks while on international duty with France last week.
Luis Enrique confirmed the injuries to Bein Sports but insisted the situation did not constitute a crisis for the club.
Barcola opened the scoring with an elegant curling finish from 20 yards in the 15th minute.
The French winger doubled PSG’s advantage six minutes after half-time with a powerful right-footed strike from distance.
Earlier in the day, 18-year-old Ethan Mbappe scored a dramatic 98th-minute winner to give Lille a 2-1 victory over Toulouse.
The midfielder volleyed home at the far post to secure all three points for the hosts after Nabil Bentaleb had equalised from the penalty spot in the first minute of added time.
Mbappe joined Lille in July last year following his departure from PSG after his elder brother Kylian’s acrimonious free transfer to Real Madrid.
The victory temporarily took Lille to the top of the Ligue 1 table with 10 points before PSG’s win later in the day.
Lyon could join PSG on 12 points with a victory in the weekend’s final match away to Rennes.
Elsewhere in Ligue 1, Strasbourg grabbed a 1-0 win over Le Havre thanks to Joaquin Panichelli’s 92nd-minute penalty.
Paris FC claimed their second win of the campaign with a 2-1 victory at last-placed Brest, while Metz drew 1-1 with Angers. – AFP
