Author: Vishwajit Sawant
In an emphatic display, Kylian Mbappé scored twice to lead Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to a 4-1 win over Lyon on Sunday, marking the most impressive achievement of the season under new coach Luis Enrique. However, PSG’s brilliant triumph didn’t mask Lyon’s poor defensive performance, with all four goals coming in the first half.
PSG opened the scoring early on with a penalty, when Lyon captain Corentin Tolisso committed a clumsy foul on Manuel Ugarte. Mbappé converted the penalty with confidence in the fourth minute. The second goal was the result of a chaotic defensive display from Lyon, when Achraf Hakimi received a cross.
Marco Asensio and Mbappé added to the scoreline with sharp finishes on quick counter-attacks. Mbappé’s two goals now put him top of the French league scoring charts with five goals.
Despite PSG’s attacking prowess, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was busy, making four important saves before Tolisso scored a penalty for Lyon in the 74th minute, reducing the deficit to 4-1. PSG’s new signing, Ousmane Dembélé, missed several chances with erratic shots, including hitting the crossbar in the 56th minute.
Lyon, once fierce rivals of PSG, are currently in crisis, in last place with just one point. The team scored the fewest goals (three) and conceded the most (10) in the league. Coach Laurent Blanc acknowledged the team’s problems and the fans’ disappointment.
The win moved PSG (8 points) up to second place in the league, behind leaders Monaco (10 points). PSG captain Marquinhos played the full 90 minutes. On the other hand, midfielder Jeffigno came on in the 76th minute, while Henrique remained an unused substitute for Lyon.