Dembélé destroys Lille, lifts PSG back on top in France

PARIS (AP):

Ousmane Dembélé put transfer talk behind him and scored a crucial brace for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in a 3-0 win over Lille that returned them to the top of Ligue 1 yesterday.

French media last week reported that the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner rejected a new contract offer.

His coach Luis Enrique called the speculation fake news and Dembélé’s focus was razor sharp in a game between two of the league’s top four.

His 12th-minute strike from more than 20 metres out gave the Lille goalkeeper no chance and his second 18 minutes into the second half was a reminder of why he picked up that Ballon d’Or.

With four defenders in front of him, Dembélé somehow found space to chip the most audacious of shots that bamboozled keeper Berke Ozer and dropped in just under the crossbar.

Substitute Bradley Barcola, another whose future has been subject to speculation, rounded off the scoring in injury time when he pounced on slack defending and slammed home the third.

The win settled nerves at the defending champions just days after city rivals Paris FC knocked them out of the French Cup.

Yesterday’s win lifted PSG back atop the league table, two points clear of Lens who have a game in hand today against second-to-last Auxerre.

Lille remained fourth, 10 points back.

MONACO LOSE AGAIN

Monaco fell to their seventh defeat in eight games after another poor performance, this time at home to Lorient 3-1.

Lorient’s Bamba Dieng had a goal disallowed in the first half but he got one that counted midway through the second period. The Senegalese forward seized on a mistake by the Monaco defence.

Ansu Fati equalised eight minutes later but goals from Jean-Victor Makengo in the 85th minute and Dermane Karim three minutes from time gave visiting Lorient all three points and extended their unbeaten run to nine games in all competitions.

Lorient were one point behind ninth-place Monaco.

It was another unhappy start to the weekend for Monaco, whose record in Friday night games fell to – won two, drawn five, lost nine.