Ligue 1 Weekend Review: PSG Survive Late Scare As Lepaul Lifts Rennes

‎The latest round of Ligue 1 action provided goals, and controversy as Paris Saint-Germain edged Nice in stoppage time, Lens surged up the table, and Rennes’ Esteban Lepaul produced a stunning hat trick to ease the pressure on coach Habib Beye.

‎Here’s a full breakdown of the weekend across France’s top flight.

‎PSG Snatch a Last-Gasp Win Against Nice

‎Paris Saint-Germain maintained their place at the top of Ligue 1 thanks to a late winner from Gonçalo Ramos, who struck deep into stoppage time to seal a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Nice at the Parc des Princes.

‎The match was far from a vintage PSG performance. Despite dominating possession and territory, the champions struggled to find a breakthrough against a resilient Nice side that arrived in Paris riding a three-match winning streak.

‎Goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf was in inspired form, pulling off excellent saves to deny Bradley Barcola’s fierce drive and a close-range effort from Achraf Hakimi in the first half.

‎Nice, who had scored in each of their previous six away league games, offered little attacking threat but held firm defensively until the final moments.

‎Substitute Vitinha came closest for PSG late on, forcing Diouf into a full-stretch save, before Ramos finally broke the deadlock, ensuring PSG avoided a fourth draw in five league outings.

‎Lens Continue Their Climb with Convincing Win Over Lorient

‎RC Lens continued their resurgence with a confident 3-0 home win over Lorient, thanks to goals from strike partners Odsonne Édouard and Wesley Saïd.

‎The victory lifted Lens level on points with second-placed Marseille, with both teams sitting on 22 points just two behind leaders PSG after 11 rounds.

‎Lens were dominant from start to finish, showing the attacking fluency that defined their impressive 2023–24 campaign. Édouard opened the scoring with a clinical finish, while Saïd doubled the lead shortly after halftime.

‎Lorient, struggling near the bottom of the table, never looked likely to recover, and a late own goal sealed their fate.

‎The win capped another strong performance from Franck Haise’s side, who appear to be finding their rhythm again after an inconsistent start to the season.

‎Lepaul’s Hat Trick Inspires Rennes Revival

‎Few players are enjoying a purple patch quite like Esteban Lepaul. The summer signing netted a stunning hat trick in Rennes’ 4-1 victory over Strasbourg, adding to his midweek goal to make it seven goals in his last three matches.

‎The 25-year-old forward was unplayable, tormenting Strasbourg’s defense with his movement and finishing. Teenage striker Mohamed Kader Meïté added the fourth for Rennes, providing a glimpse of the club’s promising youth development.

‎The result lifted some pressure off coach Habib Beye, who had faced mounting criticism after Rennes’ uneven start to the campaign. Strasbourg coach Liam Rosenior, however, could only admire Lepaul’s brilliance.

‎“Some players have lucky clubs,” Rosenior admitted.

‎“It was a fantastic performance he’s a great striker.”

‎Rosenior’s frustration was understandable Lepaul has now scored seven goals in three games against Strasbourg, including during his time at Angers last season.

‎Lyon Held at Brest After Early Red Card

‎Lyon missed a golden opportunity to close in on the top three after a frustrating 0-0 draw away to Brest.

‎The match turned on an early moment of controversy when Dutch defender Hans Hateboer was sent off in the seventh minute for a reckless challenge. Initially shown a yellow card, the decision was upgraded to red following a VAR review, leaving Lyon to play nearly the entire match with ten men.

‎Despite their numerical disadvantage, Lyon showed commendable resilience to hold on for a point, though they will feel it was a missed chance to move level with Lens and Marseille in the standings.

‎Giroud Returns, Correira Delivers for Lille

‎Veteran striker Olivier Giroud made his much-anticipated return to Lille’s starting lineup, but it was his younger teammate Félix Correira who proved decisive.

‎Correira’s second-half strike secured a narrow 1-0 home win over Angers, keeping Lille firmly in the European qualification mix.

‎Metz Move Off the Bottom with Late Show

‎In one of the weekend’s most emotional results, Metz climbed off the foot of the table with a 2-0 away victory over Nantes.

‎Senegalese striker Habib Diallo and Georgian forward Giorgi Abuashvili both found the net in the final minutes to seal a vital three points, sending Auxerre to the bottom of the standings.

‎Racism Allegation overshadows Toulouse vs Le Havre Draw

‎The weekend wasn’t without controversy. Following a 0-0 draw between Toulouse and Le Havre, Le Havre coach Didier Digard accused Toulouse’s Aron Dønnum of making a racist gesture toward midfielder Simon Ebonog.

‎Digard made the accusation live on Ligue 1+, stating he believed the Norwegian’s gesture had racial undertones.

‎Dønnum strongly denied the claim, insisting his actions were “nothing to do with racism,” while Toulouse released a statement condemning the “unfounded and particularly serious accusations.”

‎The league’s disciplinary body is expected to review the incident.

‎The Table Tightens Up

‎After 11 rounds, PSG sit top on 24 points, just two ahead of Marseille and Lens (both on 22).

‎Lyon’s draw leaves them in sixth, while Rennes’ revival could reignite their European hopes.

‎At the bottom, Metz’s timely win has dragged them out of last place for now.