PSG maintain perfect start to Ligue 1, Ethan Mbappe strikes late for Lille / Photo: FRANCK FIFE - AFP
PSG maintain perfect start to Ligue 1, Ethan Mbappe strikes late for Lille
A Bradley Barcola brace earned Paris Saint-Germain a 2-0 win over Lens in Ligue 1 on Sunday, while Kylian Mbappe's brother Ethan scored deep into second-half added time to give Lille a last-gasp victory.
The result sent PSG back to the top of the table as the reigning champions secured their fourth win from four outings this term.
However, the match threw up some injury headaches for coach Luis Enrique ahead of the start of PSG's Champions League defence next week, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Lee Kang-in and Lucas Beraldo all limping off.
Barcola sent PSG ahead on the quarter-hour with an elegant curling finish from 20 yards.
New PSG signing Illya Zabarnyi came close to turning into his own net on 27 minutes following a rare Lens foray forward.
But things did then go wrong for the dominant hosts as star winger Kvaratskhelia was forced off two minutes later with a calf issue, casting a doubt over his presence on Wednesday as PSG open their Champions League title defence against Atalanta.
Barcola doubled PSG's lead six minutes after half-time when he drove in from the left before arrowing a right-footed finish from distance past the dive of goalkeeper Robin Risser.
But PSG's injury woes accumulated in the second period when first midfielder Lee, then defender Beraldo had to be replaced.
- Lille late show -
Earlier in Lille, 18-year-old Ethan Mbappe volleyed home eight minutes into injury time to give Lille a 2-1 home win over Toulouse despite the hosts being a goal down as the clock ticked past 90.
A penalty at the very start of injury time converted by Nabil Bentaleb had brought the hosts level before Mbappe lashed home a late winner.
Both goals came courtesy of late substitutes introduced by coach Bruno Genesio, after Toulouse were reduced to 10 men on 80 minutes.
Following his departure from PSG in the wake of his elder brother Kylian's acrimonious free transfer to Real Madrid, Mbappe joined Lille in July last year.
The midfielder's first strike for the 2020/21 Ligue 1 winners came on his 11th league appearance as he ghosted in at the far post to thrash Osame Sahraoui's stood-up cross past the helpless visiting goalkeeper.
"Last year was a bit of a difficult year for me, with a lot of injuries," said Mbappe. "Coming back with a goal, honestly, there's no better way to start a new season."
Frank Magri opened the scoring for Toulouse early in the second period before Lille's late show.
The last-gasp win provisionally took Lille to the top of the Ligue 1 table, on 10 points, before PSG won to knock them down to second.
Lyon, the only other club to boast a 100 percent record in Ligue 1 this season, could take top spot with a victory in the weekend's final match away to Rennes.
Elsewhere, Liam Rosenior's youthful Strasbourg side grabbed a 1-0 win at home to Le Havre thanks to Joaquin Panichelli's 92nd-minute spot-kick.
Paris FC claimed their second win of the campaign, holding out 2-1 at last-placed Brest, while Metz drew 1-1 with Angers.
R.Sutherland--EWJ
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