On Friday evening, Paris Saint-Germain secured a 3-0 victory against Lille in Matchday 18 of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season at the Parc des Princes. Here are the highs and lows of this win.
Highs –
❤️ “And Ousmane wins the Ballon d’Or.“
Regular readers of this site know that we aren’t fans of individual awards or the Ballon d’Or. But the chants have taken hold for a player who can produce magic. A spark that has sometimes been lacking since the start of the season, particularly due to injury. Dembélé certainly shone tonight, bringing the Parc des Princes to life with a beautiful strike from outside the box and a second goal that can only be explained by pure genius. When some try to question his footballing abilities, he knows how to remind everyone.
Great team response.
There was a scare at the start of the match, but overall PSG responded well as a team to Monday’s French Cup elimination. Far removed from the media frenzy or the concerns of some fans, the Parisians showed they are focused on what lies ahead and ready to move forward. Of course, this will need to be confirmed in Tuesday’s Champions League match against Sporting Lisbon.
Lows –
😡Désiré Doué’s first half.
Too individualistic in his decision-making, wasteful, and lacking in pressing at times, Désiré Doué was the worst version of himself for the first 45 minutes. We don’t know if coach Luis Enrique spoke to him at halftime, but he was much more effective afterward, more focused on the team. And of course, he didn’t forget to use his talent. We hope to see him continue in this vein.
Senny Mayulu.
Senny Mayulu has taken a big step forward at the start of the season, which is great. But he needs to process it, both in terms of pressure and playing time. With various injuries, the youngster seems to have reached his limit and is now struggling, both in duels and in creating chances.
There’s nothing to worry about for the future; it will do him good to rest for a while. But he was clearly struggling, and his substitution at halftime wasn’t a surprise. Nor was it a problem, since Paris played very well afterwards (even if that’s not the only factor).
