Paris: Kylian Mbappe played a decisive role on his Parc des Princes debut for Paris Saint-Germain in a thrilling 2-0 win over Lyon with both goals accreditated to the visitors.
Lyon’s youngsters proved more than a match for PSG’s multi-millionaires who had to wait until the last quarter of an hour before Lyon defender Marcelo deflected the ball into his own goal.
Then four minutes from time Mbappe rushed onto Neymar’s assist with his close range shot bounding off Jeremy Morel into the net to settle the electric encounter.
This sixth successive league win pushed Unai Emery’s side three points clear of defending champions Monaco who had maintained their title push with a 3-0 win over Strasbourg 24 hours earlier.
Lyon’s visit on paper had looked to be PSG’s toughest test of the Ligue 1 season so far, and so it proved.
Despite their 466 million euros strike force of Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Mbappe, seven-time former champions Lyon emerged with plenty of honour, if not the three points.
PSG were restricted to just a handful of shots in the first period as Lyon’s defence doggedly refused to roll over. PSG’s best chances came a minute from the break when on a counter-attack Mbappe fed Neymar with the Brazilian’s rasping shot boxed away by Lyon keeper Anthony Lopes.
The first 15 minutes of the second half belonged to the visitors with PSG keeper being forced to make a couple of good saves.
agence france-presse
