A few days after their crucial Champions League victory in Salzburg (0-3), Paris Saint-Germain returned to Ligue 1 action at the Parc des Princes for a high-stakes clash against Olympique Lyonnais. To challenge the visitors, who were unbeaten away from home since August, Luis Enrique fielded a central defensive pairing of Willian Pacho and Lucas Beraldo, with Gianluigi Donnarumma guarding the Parisian goal. On the flanks, Achraf Hakimi donned the captain's armband at right-back, while Nuno Mendes continued on the left. In midfield, Vitinha operated as the holding midfielder, supported by João Neves and Warren Zaïre-Emery. Up front, Lee Kang-In started in a false nine role, flanked by Ousmane Dembélé on the right and Désiré Doué on the left.

In a charged atmosphere at the Parc des Princes, it was Les Parisiens who struck first. Following an early double warning from Warren Zaïre-Emery and Désiré Doué (4’), the Rouge et Bleu capitalised on their strong start just moments later. Ousmane Dembélé coolly slotted home with a left-footed finish after a precise cutback from Désiré Doué (1-0, 8’). Hungry for more, the club from the capital left nothing to chance. Désiré Doué once again showcased his skill in the Lyon box, earning a penalty that Vitinha converted flawlessly (2-0, 14’). The Parc des Princes erupted for the second time within the opening quarter of an hour, further sinking a Lyon side completely overwhelmed in every aspect of the game.

The Lyon defence struggled to withstand the relentless waves of Rouge et Bleu attacks, with Lucas Perri stepping up to deny Lee Kang-In’s effort and keep his side in the game (16’). Lyon were wounded but kept alive by their Brazilian goalkeeper. Paris continued to dominate, though the visitors began to cautiously venture out of their own half. This opened the door for Rayan Cherki, who took full advantage of the opportunity to break into the Parisian defence and set up Georges Mikautadze, who coolly beat Gianluigi Donnarumma to bring Lyon back into contention (2-1, 40’). Thanks to their homegrown attacking duo, OL clawed their way back into the match. However, Paris still went into half-time with a well-deserved lead.

Reinvigorated, Lyon began the second half with better intentions. However, their momentum was quickly stifled by the hosts' collective strength. João Neves’ shot, brilliantly parried by Lucas Perri (50’) and a superb team move finished clinically by Désiré Doué (52’) showcased Paris' dominance. Unfortunately for the Rouge et Bleu, Doué’s goal was eventually disallowed for an offside in the build-up. The tempo gradually slowed after an hour of exceptional intensity for a Ligue 1 match. Paris took advantage, introducing Bradley Barcola off the bench. His dynamism on the left flank caused Ainsley Maitland-Niles plenty of trouble, with his incisive runs in behind the Lyon defence forcing the visitors to drop deeper into their half.

As the match entered its final quarter, the Rouge et Bleu maintained firm control, with Gianluigi Donnarumma untroubled by the introductions of Alexandre Lacazette, Malick Fofana and Saïd Benrahma. Just as the visitors began to edge closer to Les Parisiens' penalty area, Paris struck decisively to seal the game. Bradley Barcola forced a save from Lucas Perri, creating the perfect opportunity for a poised Gonçalo Ramos to slot the rebound into the back of the net (3-1, 88’)!

A perfect ending to an evening dedicated to the PSG for Communities programme, as Paris Saint-Germain emerged victorious from a clash that lived up to all expectations. This second consecutive win, following their triumph in Austria just days earlier, extends the capital club's lead at the top of Ligue 1 to seven points over Marseille and Monaco. And it's Monaco who will be PSG's next opponents in what promises to be another highly anticipated clash. The Rouge et Bleu will return to league action on Wednesday, facing the club from the Principality at the Stade Louis II at 21:00.