The Paris Saint-Germain have done it again. PSG secured the Ligue 1 championship with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Lens on Wednesday evening, marking their 14th domestic title and extending their domestic dominance to five straight seasons.

Despite a lackluster display at Stade Bollaert-Delelis, the Parisians held firm thanks to Safonov’s heroic goalkeeping, which kept them in the game until decisive moments arrived. The victory was sealed by goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (29′) and Ibrahim Mbaye (90’+3′), both of which underlined PSG’s clinical edge in transition.

Lens dominated early but wasted chances

Lens, who had already secured second place, started brightly and piled on the pressure in the opening 45 minutes. The hosts registered 14 shots, six of which were on target, as Wesley Saïd, Adrien Thomasson, Odsonne Édouard and Abdallah Sima all came close without finding the net. Sima, in particular, saw three efforts repelled by Safonov’s agile saves, leaving his team frustrated at the interval.

PSG’s ruthless efficiency punished Lens’ errors

The visitors needed just one error to break through. After Malang Sarr intercepted a Lens pass, Ousmane Dembélé drove forward and released Kvaratskhelia, who curled a precise shot past Robin Risser (29′). Dembélé nearly doubled the lead before half-time, but his fierce strike was brilliantly denied by Risser (43′).

In the second half, Lens continued to threaten, with Sima forcing Lucas Hernandez into awkward clearances and Illia Zabarnyi blocking two shots from Tino Kadewere. Safonov remained unbreachable, making critical stops, including a point-blank save from Sima (74′) that hit the post before rebounding.

The final blow came in the 90’+3′ minute, when Warren Zaïre-Emery found Mbaye with a cross, and the substitute striker fired home with aplomb to double PSG’s lead. Lens had one last chance through Florian Thauvin, but his late effort sailed wide, sealing the result.

Safonov stands tall among PSG’s legends

Matveï Safonov’s performance was nothing short of spectacular. The Russian goalkeeper, filling in for the injured Renato Marin, made eight crucial saves from Lens’ relentless attacking, including stops from Sima and Kadewere. His composure and reflexes kept PSG in the game during their most vulnerable moments.

Only Gianluigi Donnarumma (10 saves vs Marseille, March 2024) and Keylor Navas (9 vs Rennes, May 2021) have bettered Safonov’s tally in a single Ligue 1 game for PSG under Qatari ownership. Lens forward Mamadou Sangaré summed up the frustration: “We ran into an absolute wall today.”

Luis Enrique equals Blanc’s coaching record

With this title, Luis Enrique becomes the second coach to win three Ligue 1 championships with PSG, matching Laurent Blanc’s achievement. The Spanish tactician has now collected 11 trophies in total with the club, sharing the all-time record with Blanc. This season, however, he admitted it was the most challenging of his three titles.

As PSG close out their league campaign with a trip to Paris FC, Lens will look to end their season on a high note in Lyon. Both clubs now turn their attention to their respective cup finals: the Coupe de France for Lens and the UEFA Champions League for PSG.