Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), who were without Kylian Mbappe, beat Lille to extend their lead at the top of the French Ligue 1 table.
PSG defeated Lille 3-1 in the 21st round of the 2023-24 Ligue 1 season in Paris, France, on Monday (Nov. 11). The victory extends PSG’s lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table with 15 wins, 5 draws, and 1 loss (50 points) as they seek a third straight Ligue 1 title.
PSG’s Mbappe was named to the substitutes’ bench for the match but did not start. Lee Kang-woo, who was given time off after the Asian Cup, was also absent against Lille.
Against Lille, PSG started with Hamus and Mouani up front, with Asensio and Dembele leading the attack. Luis and Ugarte formed the midfield, while Veraldo, Hernandez, Pereyra, and Mkhitaryan defended. Navas was in goal.
In the match between the two sides, Lille opened the scoring six minutes into the match through Yazic. Yazic rattled the PSG net with a left-footed shot in a chaotic opening period.
PSG fought back and equalized in the 10th minute through Hamus. On the counter-attack, Hammous found Dembele on the right side of the penalty area and finished with a right-footed shot from the middle of the penalty area to split the Lille goal.
PSG then took the lead in the 17th minute with an own goal of their own. PSG’s Lewis crossed the ball into the box and Lille defender Ribeiro tried to clear, but the deflected ball found its way into the Lille goal.
After going into halftime with the lead, PSG put the game out of reach in the 35th minute through Moani. Barcola broke down the left flank and crossed the ball into the box, where Mouani finished with his right foot to seal the win for PSG.
In the midst of PSG’s dominant win, it was noted that Mbappe, who has been the subject of recent Real Madrid transfer speculation, was absent from the Lille match. According to French outlet 90min, “Mbappe did not play against Lille, leaving his availability for the UEFA Champions League clash with Real Sociedad in doubt.
PSG coach Luis Enrique said after the game: “Mbappe is in a good situation physically. We didn’t play him because we didn’t want to take any risks. If it was a final, of course Mbappe 토토 would have played. In a Champions League game, he is 100% available, without a doubt.”
Mbappe played in the Coupe de France round of 16 against Brest on Aug. 8, scoring the opening goal in full-time and helping his side to a 3-1 victory. Mbappe’s injury concerns arose when he was stomped on the ankle by opposing defender Brassier in the Brest game. Mbappe went down in pain after twisting his ankle badly, and despite the suspected injury, he played the full match. Mbappe was subsequently ruled out of the Lille match three days after the Brest game.
Mbappe also scored a hat-trick in a full-time role in the 2023-24 Coupe de France round of 64 against Ligue 9 club Lille last month. Mbappe has shown a willingness to play for PSG this season, regardless of the opponent or the importance of the game, but he spent time on the bench against Lille.