Doué Leads the Way as PSG Return to First Place
Taking advantage of Lens’ earlier slip-up, Luis Enrique’s men delivered a professional display, with goals from Désiré Doué (3’), Bradley Barcola (45+4’) and Gonçalo Ramos (77’) sealing all three points in the capital.
Early statement from Doué
PSG wasted no time asserting their dominance. After just three minutes, Warren Zaïre-Emery spotted Doué’s clever run in behind. The former Rennes winger, enjoying a scintillating run of form, produced a delicate chipped finish beyond goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja’s replacement, Josef Fischer, to open the scoring. The 20-year-old was later withdrawn as a precaution with an apparent adductor issue, but reassured broadcasters post-match that the substitution was “just prevention.”
Barcola doubles the advantage
Paris controlled possession throughout the first half, suffocating Metz with sustained pressure. The visitors briefly threatened through counter-attacks, but Safonov remained largely untroubled.
The second goal arrived just before the interval. From a corner, Lucas Hernández’s header forced a save before Gonçalo Ramos kept the ball alive at the far post. Barcola reacted quickest, nodding home from close range to make it 2-0. At the break, PSG were not only leading the match but reclaiming first place in the Ligue 1 standings.
Metz showed marginal improvement after the restart but lacked cutting edge. The visitors failed to register a single shot on target across 90 minutes — a statistic that underlined the gulf in class.
The third goal arrived in the 77th minute. After high pressing forced a turnover, Ramos collected the ball inside the box, shifted onto his left foot and rifled a powerful effort under the crossbar. It was a striker’s finish — clinical and emphatic — to cap off a dominant evening.
Post-match, Luis Enrique reserved special praise for Warren Zaïre-Emery, describing the midfielder as “an incredible player” capable of performing in multiple roles. The 19-year-old once again dictated tempo and showcased his growing maturity in the heart of midfield. With 67% possession, 695 completed passes and seven shots on target, PSG’s superiority was reflected in the numbers as much as on the pitch.
The bigger picture
This result sees PSG move two points clear at the top of Ligue 1 after 23 matches. With momentum building ahead of their Champions League commitments, confidence in the capital is high.
For Metz, meanwhile, the task of survival grows steeper. Benoît Tavenot’s side remain rooted to the foot of the table and desperately short of attacking inspiration.
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