Luis Enrique has led Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to secure their fifth straight French Ligue 1 title after a 2-0 victory against title rivals Lens.
Georgian forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored his 19th goal of the season just before the 30-minute mark. Substitute Ibrahim Mbaye then added a second goal late in the game. These strikes gave PSG an unbeatable nine-point lead at the top with only one match remaining.
This victory adds to their impressive trophy collection this season. The team had already lifted the UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Intercontinental Cup, and French Champions Trophy.
They still have a chance to win more as they prepare to face Arsenal in the Champions League final in Budapest on May 30. Victory there would make them only the second team in the modern era to win back-to-back European Cups.
Meanwhile, Lens finished in second position and earned a place in next season’s Champions League league phase. They will also play Nice in the French Cup final on Friday, May 22.
The match was postponed from its original April date so PSG could rest between their Champions League quarter-final legs against Liverpool. This took away some of the excitement from the game. PSG also rested several key players and started without Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, captain Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz, and Warren Zaïre-Emery.
Despite the rotations, PSG took the lead at Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Ousmane Dembélé intercepted a poor clearance from Malang Sarr and set up Kvaratskhelia, who controlled the ball and fired home.
Lens fought hard in the second half. Abdallah Sima hit the post in the 74th minute, and Florian Thauvin saw a goal disallowed for offside. However, Ibrahim Mbaye sealed the 2-0 win deep in stoppage time.
“Today, we spent more time defending than usual,” said Luis Enrique. “But if you want to win trophies, you must dominate both in attack and defence. The team showed the strong mentality needed to win.”
“This is the sweetest and hardest title we have won the most difficult of the three years we have been here,” the Spanish coach added. “Lens performed very well. They won many matches in a row, and it created big challenges for us. We had to fight through it.”
PSG will host Paris FC in their final league match on Sunday before facing Arsenal in the Champions League final.