Mbappe stars as PSG cracks 10-man Lens to extend lead
Kylian Mbappe helped Paris Saint-Germain move eight points clear at the top of Ligue 1 after a 2-0 win at 10-man Lens.
Closest challenger Nice’s defeat at Rennes 24 hours earlier presented PSG with an opportunity to extend its advantage at the summit and the defending champion fully capitalised in northern France.
Mbappe teed up Bradley Barcola to open the scoring from an acute angle after half an hour before the provider turned goalscorer in the 89th minute with a low finish beyond Brice Samba off the back of a slick PSG counter-attack.
Lens was left to rue a saved penalty from Przemyslaw Frankowski while its efforts to get back into the contest was hampered when Jonathan Gradit was sent off just before half-time.
Ultimately, Mbappe’s 19th league goal of the season in just his 17th appearance wrapped up the points for PSG, which is unbeaten in all competitions since 7 November.
PSG took amateurs Revel to task in the Coupe de France last weekend in a 9-0 rout but had not won at Lens’s Stade Bollaert-Delelis since 2014, losing twice during its past three visits and drawing the other.
It could have fallen behind after seven minutes as Danilo Pereira hauled down Elye Wahi in the box but Frankowski slammed his spot-kick straight at Gianluigi Donnarumma, who saved with his legs having barely moved from the middle of his goal.
Donnarumma then saved well from Wahi before home defender Kevin Danso spurned a glorious chance when he directed a free header from a corner over the bar.
Lens’s failure to take its opportunities came back to haunt it as PSG broke the deadlock, with Mbappe putting through Barcola, who lofted over Samba from a narrow angle.
Matters worsened in first-half stoppage-time for Lens as Barcola slalomed his way through the defence before being tripped up on the edge of the area by last man Gradit.
As Gradit had denied Barcola a goalscoring opportunity, an initial yellow card was upgraded to red and Lens would have to play the second half with a man down.
To their credit, the hosts refused to roll over and Neil El Aynaoui forced Donnarumma into action while the midfielder was then unable to get the ball under control when well-positioned to equalise.
Vitinha missed the target at the other end while Fabian Ruiz took one touch too many when he could have shot before attempting to feed through Mbappe and being impeded by Lens defenders.
Mbappe fizzed wide but started and finished a PSG break after Lens had left itself short at the back in its efforts for a leveller.
PSG was presented with a three-on-three when Mbappe spread the ball to Ousmane Dembele on the right wing. Mbappe then exploited a yawning gap to collect a return ball and slot home with precision across Samba.
