The Game Turned Late
PARIS — Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain was held 2-2 at home by Lorient on Saturday, but title rival Lens failed to take full advantage after drawing 1-1 at Nice later that day. The gap between the top two stays at six points with three rounds remaining.
Lens would have cut PSG's lead to four points with a win, setting up a direct clash on May 13 at Lens's stadium. Instead, the visitors remain second in Ligue 1.
The trophy did not need much decoration; the season had already done most of the talking.
Left winger Allan Saint-Maximin put Lens ahead in the 61st minute against his former club, finishing cleanly after Adrien Thomasson's precise pass. But after Lens defender Saud Abdulhamid was sent off in the 81st minute, Nice equalized when defender Ali Abdi turned in Sofiane Diop's deflected free kick.
The Small Details Added Up
PSG had beaten Bayern Munich 5-4 in a pulsating Champions League semifinal earlier in the week, and coach Luis Enrique rested goalkeeper Matvei Safonov, midfielder Vitinha and defender Nuno Mendes. Star forward Ousmane Dembélé started on the bench alongside midfielders Joao Neves and Warren Zaïre-Emery.
Teenage forward Ibrahim Mbaye put PSG ahead in the sixth minute when goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo fumbled a cross. Poor defending allowed Pablo Pagis to equalize six minutes later with a neat volley past 19-year-old backup goalie Renato Marin.
Zaïre-Emery scored shortly after coming on in the 62nd minute with a slightly deflected strike from 20 meters. PSG academy striker Pierre Mounguengue then made his first-team debut but gave the ball away with a back pass. It was intercepted by Benin striker Aiyegun Tosin, who raced clear and scored with a low shot in the 77th minute.
The Table Looks Different
Marseille's chaotic season continued with a 3-0 loss at next-to-last Nantes. A fourth defeat in six games dented their chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League, with only the top three advancing directly.
The day got worse for Marseille, which dropped to seventh after Monaco won 2-1 at last-place Metz. Former France star Paul Pogba started for Monaco, giving him his first league start since 2023 with Juventus. He lasted one hour.
American forward Folarin Balogun and former Barcelona prodigy Ansu Fati got Monaco's goals. For Nantes, Ignatius Ganago, former Marseille winger Rémy Cabella and Matthis Abline all scored.