In a match with a scenario rich in twists and turns, Paris Saint-Germain won down to the wire this Sunday on the pitch of Olympique Lyonnais (2-3).
At the end of the suspense. And the show. At the end of the 12th day of Ligue 1, PSG narrowly won on the Lyon pitch (2-3). Joao Neves’ goal from a corner in added time allowed the capital club to smile again, five days after the defeat conceded to Bayern Munich in the Champions League (1-2). And to regain the lead in the ranking, two points ahead of Lens and Marseille. Certainly falling with honors this Sunday, OL are no longer advancing in the championship and must settle for a disappointing seventh place, seven points behind the leader.
Vitinha, le patron
Deprived of several executives (Dembélé, Doué, Hakimi, Nuno Mendes) and therefore very weakened in defense and up front, PSG was nevertheless able to rely on the return of its precious trident in midfield. Joao Neves, substitute and already scorer against Bayern on Wednesday, indeed found a starting place, alongside his friends Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz. Carried by this trio, the capital club immediately confiscated the ball from the Lyonnais also decimated by the absences of several starters (Abner, Hateboer, Sulc, Mangala, Nuamah, Fofana).
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And as is often the case, Vitinha, promoted to captain, showcased his talent to achieve the domination of his team. First by launching Zaire-Emery perfectly, a strong scorer on the opening score (0-1, 26th). Then by recovering a ball very high in the feet of Tessmann, to allow Kvaratskhelia to unlock his counter and deceive Greif in turn (1-2, 33rd).
Lyon’s regrets
Trailing at the break and manhandled on their pitch, OL had provisionally equalized, on a counter-attack concluded with great composure by Moreira (1-2, 30th). If Tagliafico hit the post at the end of the first period, the Gones showed significantly more consistency upon returning from the locker room, during a more balanced second act. And marked by the superb equalizer from Maitland-Niles. Forgotten by the Parisian defense on a through ball, the English international surprised everyone by attempting a lob as audacious as it was brilliant in front of the surface of a still helpless Knight (2-2, 50th).
Pushed by a Groupama Stadium on fire, OL long believed in the feat against a worn-out champion, before finally breaking down in added time. Still on the verge, Tagliafico received a second yellow synonymous with expulsion (90th + 3) and was no longer there to defend on the final corner which allowed PSG to win by a landslide, like against Nice last weekend (1-0). Laborious but enough to regain the top of the ranking, before the last international break of 2025.
