Paris Saint-Germain Seal Top Ligue 1 Spot With Dembele Brace Against Lille

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Ousmane Dembele fired Paris Saint-Germain to the top of Ligue 1 with a decisive brace in a 3-0 home victory over Lille, scoring twice with low-probability efforts before Bradley Barcola added a late third

as Luis Enrique’s side capitalised on their attacking quality after an early scare at the Parc des Princes.

Lille almost stunned the hosts in the second minute, when Olivier Giroud collected a loose ball in the area and tried to chip Lucas Chevalier, but the effort crashed against the crossbar and Chevalier then reacted sharply to block Ethan Mbappe’s follow-up, a moment that jolted Paris Saint-Germain into life after a slow opening.

Paris Saint-Germain responded clinically, scoring with their first attempt in the 13th minute after Fabian Ruiz forced a turnover in a dangerous zone, Vitinha quickly shifted possession to Dembele on the edge of the area, and the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner drove a firm strike off the inside of the left post beyond Berke Ozer to make it 1-0.

The second goal from Dembele arrived shortly after the hour mark and effectively ended Lille’s hopes, as Desire Doue spotted the forward’s movement and delivered a precise pass into the box, allowing Dembele to twist past three defenders before lifting a delicate lob over Ozer that dropped just under the bar and sent the Parc des Princes into celebration.

Despite some early nerves, Paris Saint-Germain controlled the main metrics, creating 1.32 expected goals from 13 shots compared to Lille’s 0.78 from seven efforts, and both of Dembele’s strikes together carried only 0.23 xG because of the difficulty, underlining how Paris Saint-Germain converted challenging positions while Lille struggled to fashion high-quality chances.

Dembele’s performance also highlighted the range of finishing in Ligue 1, with the forward continuing a career trend of reliable shooting with both feet, as 21 of Dembele’s 41 Ligue 1 goals have come from the right foot, 18 from the left, and only two with the head, figures that show defenders cannot easily predict which side Dembele will favour.

Doue had a busy evening for Paris Saint-Germain as well, adding more Ligue 1 value beyond the assist for Dembele, leading the match with four shots, supplying five crosses, completing five dribbles, and winning seven of 12 duels, while Nuno Mendes and Doue both went close with efforts either side of half-time as Lille’s attack remained quiet.

Barcola completed the Ligue 1 scoreline deep into added time when the 93rd minute brought a final error from Lille, as Barcola pressed an unaware Aissa Mandi inside the penalty area, stole possession, and calmly guided a low finish into the bottom corner, sealing a controlled win that keeps Paris Saint-Germain’s title push on track after surviving that early Giroud scare.