Mbappe and Barcola score in PSG’s 2-0 victory at Lens

Paris: Just one league match into 2024, Paris Saint-Germain is already putting more daylight between the defending champions and its rivals for the French league title.

Despite playing against 10 men in the second half, PSG was far from impressive as it resumed its league campaign Sunday with a 2-0 win at last season’s runner-up Lens to extend its lead at the top to eight points.

Second-place Nice lost ground when it was beaten 2-0 by Rennes on Saturday.

Lens had the opportunity to take the lead in the fifth minute but PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma decided otherwise and stopped Przemyslaw Frankowski’s penalty.

Forward Bradley Barcola was just as decisive for PSG, first by breaking the deadlock near the half-hour mark, then by earning the foul that led to Lens defender Jonathan Gradit’s sending off just before halftime. “I thought that Barcola was tremendous tonight,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said.

Kylian Mbapp wrapped up PSG’s win in the closing stages with his 19th league goal this season.

Danilo found the unmarked Mbapp on the break, and the league’s top scorer set up the 21-year-old Barcola perfectly with a through ball. The former Lyon player won his duel with goalkeeper Brice Samba and scored with his right foot to give PSG the lead in the 29th minute. Things went from bad to worse for the home team when Gradit was shown a red card after a VAR review following a big foul on Barcola, who had dribbled past several opponents and was approaching the box.

Luis Enrique had to make up for the absence of Achraf Hakimi, who traveled to the African Cup with Morocco, and his tactical approach worked fine in the northern town.