PSG reclaim top spot with Auxerre victory

Paris Saint-Germain reclaimed their place at the summit of Ligue 1 with a 2-0 victory over AJ Auxerre at the Parc des Princes on Saturday evening. Following defeat to Marseille in Le Classique last week, it was imperative that Les Parisiens got back on track against a side that have troubled teams this season in LIgue 1 McDonald's.

In the absence of several key figures, it was the central defensive pairing of Ilya Zabarnyi and Lucas Beraldo who provided the goals to put Luis Enrique’s side three points clear of Marseille at the top of the table. The hosts were without Marquinhos, Ousmane Dembélé, and João Neves, but started brightly under the lights in Paris. It was Vitinha who provided the moment of quality to unlock the Auxerre defence on 32 minutes, floating a delicate cross into the path of Zabarnyi. The Ukrainian, signed this summer, showed a striker’s composure to guide a volley beyond Donovan Leon and hand PSG the lead. However, the Portuguese midfielder’s evening was cut short shortly afterwards when he limped off injured, an unwelcome blow for Luis Enrique just days before a crucial Champions League clash with Barcelona. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia soon followed him to the sidelines with a knock, adding to Paris’s injury concerns.

Despite those setbacks, PSG doubled their advantage early in the second half. From a well-worked short corner routine, teenage midfielder Senny Mayulu delivered an inviting cross into the penalty area, where Beraldo met the ball with a precise header past Leon in the 54th minute. The Brazilian’s celebration was one of relief as much as joy, with the Parc des Princes rising to applaud a centre-back pairing that had already secured the points with their attacking contributions.

Luis Enrique also handed minutes to academy prospects as the match demanded rotation, with Quentin Ndjantou and Mathis Jangeal given the chance to help close out the game — a small reminder that PSG will continue to lean on youth when injuries bite. The final whistle brought relief and celebration: while the result restores PSG’s cushion in the title race, the evening also moved swiftly into festivities at the Parc as the club honoured Ousmane Dembélé's recent Ballon d'Or win last week. 

THE STAT: A first

Illia Zabarnyi is the first Ukrainian goalscorer in Paris SG's history in all competitions, and the fifth goalscorer of that nationality in Ligue 1 after Oleksandr Zavarov (10 goals), Sergiy Skachenko (4), Pavel Yakovenko and Ruslan Malinovskyi (1).

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