Mbappe stars in win over Lorient but PSG’s title party delayed by Monaco victory

Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Kylian Mbappe (R) and teammate French forward Randal Kolo Muani high five each other as they celebrate their victory at the end of their French L1 match against FC Lorient at the Stade du Moustoir in Lorient on April 24, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 25 April 2024
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Mbappe stars in win over Lorient but PSG’s title party delayed by Monaco victory

  • Defending champion PSG can clinch their record-extending 12th French league title at home on Saturday against Le Havre
  • Marseille’s European hopes took a hit after a 2-2 draw with fifth-place Nice

LORIENT, France: Paris Saint-Germain will have to wait at least a few more days to try to clinch the French league title.

Kylian Mbappe scored twice and provided an assist in a 4-1 win over Lorient on Wednesday, but there were no celebrations because second-place Monaco beat Lille 1-0 later in the evening.

The lead atop the standings is 11 points with four games remaining. Defending champion PSG can clinch their record-extending 12th French league title at home on Saturday against Le Havre.

PSG remain on course for a treble of trophies in Mbappe’s final season with the club, as they will play Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semifinals and face Lyon in the French Cup final next month.

In a match between the most prolific attack and the most porous defense in the league, PSG winger Ousmane Dembele opened the scoring in the 19th minute in Lorient, a sleepy seaport in Brittany.

Mbappe doubled the lead by nonchalantly flicking a cross from Nuno Mendes into the far corner in the 22nd.

The France forward set up the third goal by dribbling past Nathaniel Adjei to square the ball back to Dembele, who tapped into an empty net.

Mbappe sealed the win in the 90th with a curler into the far corner to solidify his spot as the top scorer in the league by raising his tally to 26 goals.

“We had a good game, we were serious, we deserve the three points,” Dembele told Amazon Prime. “Now we must finish the job to be champions as quickly as possible.”

Relegation-threatened Lorient scored a consolation goal with a powerful header from Mohamed Bamba off a cross from Benjamin Mendy in the 73rd.

Gianluigi Donnarumma prevented a nervy finish by saving a low strike from Lorient substitute Panos Katseris in the 80th.

PSG coach Luis Enrique fielded a makeshift team that included academy players Senny Mayulu and Yoram Zague. Managing his players’ minutes, Luis Enrique even left Marquinhos, Achraf Hakimi, Vitinha, Bradley Barcola and Warren Zaire-Emery out of the matchday squad.

PSG have only lost one league game this season, and that was in September.

Monaco won a fourth straight game to go six points clear of fourth-place Lille and move closer to an automatic Champions League spot.

France midfielder Youssouf Fofana won the ball in midfield and scored the lone goal with a low drive from the edge of the box in the 61st.

Lille trail third-place Brest by a point and still occupies the spot for the third qualifying round of the Champions League.

Also Wednesday, Marseille’s European hopes took a hit after a 2-2 draw with fifth-place Nice.

Nigeria forward Terem Moffi put Nice ahead in the 13th after goalkeeper Pau Lopez came off his line and missed the ball.

Marseille right back Jonathan Clauss leveled the game with a powerful strike from the edge of the box in the 31st.

Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gave Marseille the lead with a penalty in the 56th after Mohamed-Ali Cho had fouled Leonardo Balerdi.

But Nice left back Melvin Bard equalized with a low diagonal shot in the 72nd.

Marseille leapfrogged Lyon into eighth place, five points off the last European spot.

Those three games were rescheduled to help PSG, Marseille and Lille prepare for European games.


Watkins goal earns Villa win at Lille, Bologna and Roma draw

Updated 12 March 2026
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Watkins goal earns Villa win at Lille, Bologna and Roma draw

  • Porto won 2-1 at VfB Stuttgart and Panathinaikos beat Real Betis thanks to a late penalty
  • Watkins netted his first European goal of the season

VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France: Aston Villa came away from Lille with a 1-0 win thanks to Ollie Watkins’ goal in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday, while Bologna and AS Roma played out a 1-1 draw in the all-Italian clash.
Porto won 2-1 at VfB Stuttgart and Panathinaikos beat Real Betis thanks to a late penalty after playing the final half hour with 10 men.
Watkins netted his first European goal of the season and Villa take a slender lead back home for next Thursday’s second leg.
The only shot on target in a cagey opening half came late on with Romain Perraud’s effort from distance which Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez failed to hold, but defender Pau Torres was ⁠there to clear ⁠before Lille could take advantage.
Moments earlier Villa had another escape when Lille striker Olivier Giroud was unable to direct his glancing header goalwards from close range.
Villa took the lead six minutes into the second half when Ezri Konsa sent a long ball forward which Emiliano Buendia headed on for Watkins to send a looping header over the keeper.
Amadou Onana hit a curling shot from outside the area which clipped the top of the upright as ⁠Villa pushed for a second, with Martinez making a save at the other end from Matias Fernandez-Pardo.

ITALIAN DRAW
In Italy, Bologna went in front five minutes after the break when Jonathan Rowe made a mazy run into the box before laying the ball off to Federico Bernardeschi who whipped a first-time shot in off the far post.
Donyell Malen hit the post for Roma minutes later, and it was his poked pass which set up Lorenzo Pellegrini for the 71st-minute equalizer, with the substitute firing into an empty net.
Malen had a deflected shot come off the post and Roma’s Martin Vitik saw a header from a free kick hit the crossbar as neither side could find a winner.
Porto ⁠took the lead through ⁠Terem Moffi in the 21st minute, Moffi playing a neat one-two with Borja Sainz before rifling his shot into the corner of the net.
Six minutes later 18-year-old Rodrigo Mora doubled the lead, leaping to volley home Zaidu Sanusi’s cross from the left.
Stuttgart pulled one back five minutes from the break, Deniz Undav capitalizing on a deflected pass with a half-volleyed shot on the turn.
Angelo Stiller thought he had levelled for the hosts with 20 minutes left but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Panathinaikos went down to 10 men with Anass Zaroury picking up a second yellow card and their keeper Alban Lafont kept Betis at bay with a number of fine saves before the hosts netted the winner with two minutes left.
Diego Llorente was sent off after earning a second booking for a foul on Karol Swiderski and Vicente Taborda made no mistake from the penalty spot.