Bradley Barcola’s double helped Paris Saint-Germain reclaim the Ligue 1 summit with a 2-0 win over Lens on Sunday, while 18-year-old Ethan Mbappe secured a dramatic late winner for Lille.
The victory marked PSG’s fourth straight triumph of the season, but the night also brought injury concerns for coach Luis Enrique ahead of their Champions League title defence against Atalanta next week. Key players Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Lee Kang-in, and Lucas Beraldo all limped off during the encounter.
Barcola gave the Parisians the lead in the 15th minute with a composed curling strike from 20 yards. Lens threatened briefly when new PSG recruit Illya Zabarnyi nearly turned the ball into his own net, but just minutes later, disaster struck for the champions as star winger Kvaratskhelia was forced off with a calf problem.
The French champions doubled their advantage six minutes after the restart, with Barcola cutting in from the left and rifling a superb right-footed effort beyond goalkeeper Robin Risser. Despite their dominance, PSG’s night soured further as Lee and Beraldo also exited injured, leaving Enrique with fitness worries ahead of Europe’s premier club competition.
Lille’s late drama
Earlier in the day, Lille staged a remarkable turnaround to defeat Toulouse 2-1 at home. Trailing into stoppage time, Nabil Bentaleb converted a penalty to level the match before Ethan Mbappe, younger brother of Kylian, volleyed in the winning goal deep into added time.
The teenager, who joined Lille in 2024 after leaving PSG, netted his first league goal on his 11th appearance, latching onto Osame Sahraoui’s cross. “Last year was a bit of a difficult year for me, with a lot of injuries,” said Mbappe. “Coming back with a goal, honestly, there’s no better way to start a new season.”
Toulouse had earlier struck first through Frank Magri, but their chances faded after being reduced to 10 men with 10 minutes left on the clock. Lille’s victory briefly took them top of the Ligue 1 standings on 10 points before PSG’s evening triumph restored the champions to first place.
Elsewhere, Strasbourg snatched a 1-0 win at home to Le Havre thanks to Joaquin Panichelli’s 92nd-minute penalty, Paris FC edged Brest 2-1 for their second win of the season, while Metz drew 1-1 with Angers. Lyon, also unbeaten this season, had the chance to move top in their match against Rennes later that night.
What You Should Know
Bradley Barcola’s brace restored PSG to the Ligue 1 summit, but injuries to Kvaratskhelia, Lee, and Beraldo raised concerns ahead of their Champions League opener.
Meanwhile, Ethan Mbappe made headlines with a stoppage-time winner for Lille, marking a personal comeback and signaling his growing presence in French football.
