The Pressure Shows Up Early
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.
A win for second-place Lens would have trimmed PSG's lead to four points ahead of their May 13 showdown in Lens, but the gap remains six points with three rounds left in the season.
The trophy did not need much decoration; the season had already done most of the talking.
PSG came into the match riding a high from their pulsating 5-4 Champions League semifinal win over Bayern Munich in midweek, and coach Luis Enrique clearly had one eye on Wednesday's return leg in Germany. Goalkeeper Matvei Safonov, midfielder Vitinha, and defender Nuno Mendes were all rested. 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 straight onto him. Poor defending allowed Pablo Pagis to equalize six minutes later with a neat volley past 19-year-old backup goalie Renato Marin. Zaïre-Emery, who had just come on in the 62nd, scored immediately with a slightly deflected strike from 20 meters.
PSG academy striker Pierre Mounguengue then came on for 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 off the post in the 77th.
The Detail That Tilts It
For Lens, left winger Allan Saint-Maximin put his side ahead in the 61st minute against his former club, latching onto Adrien Thomasson's fine pass from deep and netting with a composed finish. But after Lens defender Saud Abdulhamid was sent off in the 81st, Nice equalized moments later when defender Ali Abdi turned in Sofiane Diop's deflected free kick.
Marseille's chaotic season took another turn with a 3-0 loss at next-to-last Nantes, a fourth defeat in six games that dented their chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League. The day got even worse as Marseille dropped to seventh after Monaco won 2-1 at last-place Metz.
Paul Pogba was picked in midfield for Monaco, giving the former France star 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.
PSG still controls its own fate with a six-point buffer, but the draw against Lorient exposed gaps that a rival like Lens — now with the numerical advantage of hosting the decisive match — could exploit. Luis Enrique's rotation gamble worked out barely; the real test comes Wednesday in Munich.