Dembélé Leads PSG Back to Top of Ligue 1

Ousmane Dembélé scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain returned to the top of Ligue 1 with a convincing 3-0 victory over Lille at the Parc des Princes.

The French international set the tone early, opening the scoring with a superb curling effort from around 20 yards that nestled into the corner of the net. 

PSG dominated possession throughout the first half and carried their momentum into the second period.

Just after the hour mark, Dembélé produced a moment of brilliance to double the hosts’ advantage, delicately chipping the ball over the Lille goalkeeper from inside the penalty area. 

Bradley Barcola sealed the win in injury time, capitalising on a defensive mix-up to make it 3-0.

The brace capped an impressive individual performance from Dembélé, who won the Ballon d’Or last season but has endured an injury-disrupted campaign this year.

Despite the winger’s decisive contribution, PSG head coach Luis Enrique insisted there is still room for improvement. 

“Everyone will say that Ousmane is the best player, but for me, no,” Enrique said. “We still need to see the best version of Ousmane defensively. We need a player like him with a defensive mentality. He showed that last year, and this year he needs to continue that.”

The win lifts PSG two points clear of Lens at the top of the table, although Lens could reclaim first place if they defeat Auxerre on Saturday.