PSG extend Ligue 1 lead with comfortable victory over Angers
Paris Saint-Germain moved six points clear at the top of Ligue 1 with a 3-0 victory over Angers at the Stade Raymond-Kopa on Sunday. Goals from Kang-in Lee, Senny Mayulu, and Lucas Beraldo secured a straightforward win for the league leaders, who played the final quarter of the match with ten men after Gonçalo Ramos was sent off.
The visitors opened the scoring after just seven minutes. According to the match report, Lucas Beraldo played a superb through ball for Achraf Hakimi, whose effort was saved by Hervé Koffi, but Lee was on hand to slot home the rebound. PSG doubled their advantage in the 39th minute when Beraldo, operating in an unfamiliar midfield role, provided another assist for Senny Mayulu, who finished calmly past Koffi.
Beraldo capped his impressive performance by scoring the third goal himself in the 52nd minute, heading in a corner from Lee. The result was never in doubt despite a second yellow card for Gonçalo Ramos in the 74th minute for a foul on the Angers goalkeeper. The win gives PSG a significant cushion over second-place Lens, who drew on Friday, with four matches remaining for both teams.
The match saw PSG manager Luis Enrique rotate his squad ahead of the club's Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich on Tuesday. Key players like Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Nuno Mendes started on the bench, while summer signing Beraldo was deployed in midfield. The Brazilian defender, who joined from São Paulo in January, delivered a man-of-the-match performance with two assists and a goal, offering the coach a potential new tactical option.
For Angers, the defeat leaves them firmly entrenched at the bottom of the table, facing almost certain relegation to Ligue 2. The home side struggled to create clear chances against a dominant PSG, managing only a handful of shots despite their numerical advantage late in the game. The result extends PSG's unbeaten run in the league to 26 matches, underlining their domestic supremacy this season.
Attention now turns immediately to European competition for PSG, who hold a 2-1 lead from the first leg against Bayern. The comprehensive victory in Angers, achieved with minimal exertion from several star players, provides ideal preparation for the crucial midweek fixture. For Angers, the focus shifts to planning for life in the second tier, with their fate likely to be sealed in the coming weeks.
