PSG's players pose prior to the French L1 football match between Brest and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at Stade Francis Le Ble in Brest, western France on Feb 1, 2025. [Photo/Agencies]
Paris Saint-Germain has no serious rival in France this season and will soon find out if its crushing domestic dominance can translate into the team thriving on European soccer's biggest stage.
Still unbeaten in the French league after 23 matches, PSG extended its massive lead at the top of the standings to 13 points on Sunday with a 3-2 win at sixth-placed Lyon.
The match came to life after the interval, and featured inspired attacking moves from both sides. PSG was the better side and led 2-0 with seven minutes left to play. The only downside for Luis Enrique's team was the players' inability to keep its lead intact when Lyon really upped the tempo.
Inspired by the in-form Ousmane Dembele — who scored his 17th league goal at Lyon — PSG has made tremendous progress in recent weeks. Achraf Hakimi scored PSG's other goals.
It was Hakimi who put PSG ahead in the 53rd minute from Bradley Barcola's cross, with Dembele doubling the lead six minutes later.
Rayan Cherki ensured some suspense when he pulled one back for Lyon at the end of a fine team move with seven minutes left to play. Hakimi completed his brace soon after to restore PSG's two-goal lead, only for Corentin Tolisso to once again get PSG pulses racing with a stoppage-time header.
There appears little doubt that PSG will win a record-extending 13th league title this season. But a far tougher test looms in March against Premier League leader Liverpool, when the two teams face off in a mouthwatering last-16 Champions League tie. The first leg is in Paris on March 5.
It's the next big hurdle on the road that separates PSG from their ultimate goal of winning the Champions League, a task that has proved too difficult so far, despite the millions injected by Qatari investors since 2011.
The only French club to win the Champions League, second-placed Marseille, made headlines for the wrong reason this weekend. It lost 3-0 at Auxerre, and its president accused French league referees of corruption.
Agencies via Xinhua
