Ousmane Dembele’s second-half brace and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s first goal for Paris Saint-Germain powered the team to a dominant win over Monaco, pushing them 13 points clear at the top of Ligue 1.
PSG also made headlines off the pitch, confirming contract extensions for head coach Luis Enrique, full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, and midfielder Vitinha, just before notching up their 16th win in 21 matches, amassing 53 points. Marseille, in second place, trails with 40 points, although they have a game in hand.
The match began with Vitinha giving PSG the lead in the 6th minute, curling in a low free-kick. Monaco responded in the 21st minute when Denis Zakaria leveled the score with a well-taken shot from a tight angle, following an exquisite through ball from Soungoutou Magassa.
Kvaratskhelia, a key figure in Napoli’s Serie A-winning campaign last season, made his mark for PSG in the 54th minute. After cutting inside a defender, the Georgian winger slotted home his first goal for the club since his January move for 70 million euros (£59 million), signing a four-and-a-half-year contract.
Dembele, Ligue 1’s top scorer, doubled PSG’s lead just three minutes later with a well-timed finish after linking up with Desire Doue. He then sealed the victory in injury time, scoring his 16th league goal of the season.
This week is crucial for PSG, as they travel to face Brest in the first leg of their Champions League play-off on Tuesday, while Monaco will host Benfica on Wednesday.
