PARIS (France), Feb 22 — Paris Saint-Germain brushed aside struggling Metz 3-0 to go back to the top of the Ligue 1 table yesterday, taking advantage of a 3-2 defeat for title rivals Lens at the hands of Monaco.

Lens started the day a point ahead of reigning French and European champions PSG at the summit and were two goals in front in the second half against Monaco, only to capitulate and slip to a first home loss since August.

That gave PSG the opportunity to reclaim first place and they made short work of the division’s bottom club at the Parc des Princes, with Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos scoring the goals.

PSG are now two points ahead of Lens with 11 games of the season remaining, while Lyon in third can move to within six points of the table-toppers if they win away at Strasbourg today.

“What I think is that Lens are having an incredible season,” PSG coach Luis Enrique told broadcaster Ligue 1+.

“There are still 11 games left and we need to improve yet if we want to retain the title.”

Doue came into the Paris starting line-up against Metz after being introduced off the bench for the injured Ousmane Dembele and then scoring twice in the 3-2 midweek win away to Monaco in the first leg of their Champions League knockout phase play-off tie.

Here he opened the scoring inside three minutes, racing through from halfway to score after being released by Warren Zaire-Emery’s pass over the top.

The second goal came in first-half stoppage time, with Barcola finishing from practically on the line after Metz goalkeeper Jonathan Fischer had kept out a Lucas Hernandez header at a corner.

Ramos squandered a good chance to make it 3-0 in the second half before he did find the net inside the final quarter of an hour with an emphatic finish for his 11th goal of the campaign.

Luis Enrique rested several key players while Dembele was not involved at all, as PSG prepare for the second leg against Monaco this coming Wednesday.

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In Lens, Odsonne Edouard fired in the opener for the hosts from an Adrien Thomasson lay-off after just three minutes.

Pierre Sage’s Lens team were looking for a club record 11th successive home league win and they were on course to get the victory when Florian Thauvin doubled their advantage on 56 minutes.

However, Monaco pulled one back just after the hour mark courtesy of Folarin Balogun, with the US star scoring his 11th goal of the season in all competitions.

That sparked a stunning comeback, with Denis Zakaria equalising before substitute Ansu Fati netted the winner with a third goal in the space of 11 second-half minutes for the principality side.

It was a wholly unexpected collapse from Lens, who came into the weekend with the best defensive record in the division.

“That was stupid. We had the victory in our hands,” lamented Sage.

“We are very disappointed but it is important that we don’t play the victim. We need to see this as an experience that will help us grow as a team.”

Monaco are provisionally up to sixth, right back in the mix for European qualification having won three and drawn two of their last five Ligue 1 outings.

Toulouse and Paris FC drew 1-1 in yesterday’s other game, with Julian Vignolo’s late goal denying the team from the capital the victory after Zimbabwe midfielder Marshall Munetsi had put them in front.

That result left Paris FC, owned by the super-rich Arnault family, with just one win in 12 league games and sources close to the club said late yesterday they had chosen to sack coach Stephane Gilli.

He was set to be replaced by former PSG boss Antoine Kombouare.

Marseille, who are fourth, lost 2-0 at Brest on Friday in new coach Habib Beye’s first match in charge. — AFP