PSG Beats Le Havre 1-0, Extends Ligue 1 Lead to Four Points
In a 24th-round Ligue 1 match Saturday, Paris Saint-Germain defeated Le Havre 1-0 at Stade Oceane. Bradley Barcola scored the lone goal in the 37th minute, heading in a perfect cross from Lee Kang-in.
PSG dominated possession and created numerous scoring chances but failed to convert most of them, leaving the final outcome in doubt until the final whistle. The win gives PSG a four-point lead at the top of the Ligue 1 standings.
The lineups:
PSG: Safonov - Hakimi (c), Zabarnyi , Pacho , Hernandez - Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha , Dro ( Mendes , 61st) - Lee (Doue, 61st), Barcola, Kvaratskhelia ( Mbaye , 71st).
PSG substitutes: Chevalier, Marin, Beraldo , Marquinhos , Mendes, Ramos , Doue, Mbaye.
Le Havre: Diaw - Pembele (Doucoure, 61st), Zagadou (Kechta, 84th), Seko, Lloris , Zouaoui (Koffi, 61st) - Gourna-Douath ( Samatta , 84th), Ebonog - Ndiaye , Boufal (Quetant, 71st) - Soumare.
Le Havre substitutes: Mpasi, Youte, Doucoure, Koffi, Kechta, Mambimbi , N'Benbege, Samatta, Quetant.
Goal: Barcola (0-1, 37th minute), assisted by Lee.
PSG started aggressively, earning a corner in the second minute. From Lee's corner, Kvaratskhelia's glancing header was cleared off the line at the far post. Hakimi then fired wide from 20 meters in the third minute. Kvaratskhelia created danger on the left in the eighth minute, cutting back for Vitinha, whose shot was blocked.
Le Havre thought it had a chance in the 11th minute when Safonov made a spectacular save on his line, but the play was called back for offside. A Le Havre counterattack in the 13th minute was halted by a crucial Seko tackle in the area. Kvaratskhelia attempted a curling shot in the 14th minute but mishit it badly. In the 18th minute, a Le Havre counter resulted in a cross that Safonov punched away.
The match evened out. Hakimi found Lee in the 25th minute, whose curling effort was easily saved by Diaw. In the 30th minute, following sustained possession, Lee crossed from the right, but Zaïre-Emery's header went over the bar.
PSG broke through in the 37th minute with a well-worked team goal. Hakimi played Lee on the right, and Lee delivered a perfect cross for Barcola, who directed a precise header into the net.
Le Havre tried to respond immediately, but Vitinha and Pacho cleared the danger in the 39th minute. A frantic PSG counterattack from a corner in the 40th minute saw Barcola set up Lee, who, slightly off-center, shot into the side-netting from a promising position. Another counterattack in the 41st minute saw Fernandez put the ball in the net, but Hakimi was ruled offside in the buildup. The VAR check confirmed the call after a lengthy review. PSG led 1-0 at halftime.
PSG maintained control after the break. Kvaratskhelia cut in from the left and shot over the bar in the 48th minute. Hakimi and Lee combined well in the 50th minute, with Lee's cross cleared. In the 50th minute, Zaïre-Emery intercepted a pass and set up Kvaratskhelia, whose powerful right-footed shot hit the post. Zaïre-Emery caused more problems in the 51st minute; his cross was partially cleared to Hernandez, whose cross was headed off target by Barcola.
Le Havre threatened in the 54th minute on a fast break. Soumare , found in the area, feinted and shot left-footed, but Safonov made a strong save. The game became more balanced, but PSG regained possession. Kvaratskhelia tried a long-range effort in the 59th minute that was off target. In the 66th minute, a fine pass from Zabarnyi sent Barcola down the right. His cross found Mendes at the far post, but Diaw saved his shot.
Zaïre-Emery and Kvaratskhelia combined well on the right in the 71st minute. Zaïre-Emery played the ball back to Kvaratskhelia, who feinted and shot from close range but over the bar. Newly substituted Quetant attempted a difficult volley in the 75th minute that hit Pacho and went wide. PSG occasionally misplayed passes, including a long ball from Mendes to Doue in the 76th minute. In the 78th minute, Doue delivered a superb pass to Mbaye, who failed to convert from an excellent position. Immediately after, Doue earned a penalty with a skillful dribble in the 78th minute. However, Diaw saved his subsequent spot kick in the 79th minute.
PSG regained control of the ball. Doue shot from 18 meters in the 85th minute, but Diaw saved comfortably. PSG managed the closing stages. Hakimi misplayed a counterattack in the 89th minute, passing to an offside Mbaye. In the 90th minute, Safonov came off his line to head a long ball clear, colliding with Kechta . The Russian goalkeeper appeared to injure his knee and was initially unable to continue, but he eventually resumed play. In the 93rd minute, he conceded a corner after Pacho cleared.
Tensions rose in the final moments. Zaïre-Emery gave away a needless free kick on the left in the 94th minute. The resulting free kick was poorly cleared, leading to a Le Havre corner in the 95th minute. Safonov secured the ball on the second attempt, allowing PSG to see out the win.
