Lucas Beraldo Shines as PSG Ease Past Angers to Extend Lead
Paris Saint-Germain moved six points clear at the top of Ligue 1 with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Angers on Saturday, a win highlighted by a standout performance from defender Lucas Beraldo. The Brazilian, deployed in an unfamiliar defensive midfield role, scored once and provided an assist as the reigning champions efficiently dispatched their hosts at the Stade Raymond-Kopa.
Lee Kang-in opened the scoring for the visitors after just eight minutes, finishing calmly after a clever feint. The lead was doubled six minutes before halftime when Beraldo's precise through-ball found Senny Mayulu, who finished from close range. Beraldo then capped his influential display by heading home from a corner seven minutes after the restart to seal the three points. PSG played the final quarter-hour with ten men after Gonçalo Ramos received a second yellow card, but Angers failed to mount any meaningful response.
The victory, coming less than 72 hours before a crucial Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich, was a controlled exercise in squad management for manager Luis Enrique. He made sweeping changes at halftime, substituting Achraf Hakimi, Lucas Hernandez, and Fabian Ruiz, and later withdrew goalscorer Lee Kang-in, with the midweek European tie clearly in mind. The rotated side delivered a professional performance, keeping a clean sheet and never looking troubled after establishing their early lead.
For Lucas Beraldo, the match represented a significant personal milestone. Typically a centre-back, his advanced role as a deep-lying midfielder allowed him to showcase his distribution and timing, contributing directly to two goals before adding one himself. According to reports from L'Équipe, his adaptability offers Luis Enrique a valuable tactical option, especially with midfielder Vitinha's availability for the Bayern clash still uncertain. The performance will fuel speculation about Beraldo's long-term positional future at the club.
The result places significant pressure on second-placed Brest, who could only manage a draw against Lens on Friday. With just four matches remaining in the season, PSG's six-point cushion puts them firmly in control of the title race. For Angers, the defeat leaves them mired in mid-table, their season effectively over with little left to play for. All focus for PSG now shifts to the Parc des Princes on Tuesday, where they will defend a narrow 1-0 lead against Bayern Munich, with a place in the Champions League final at stake.
