Paris-Saint Germain won a record Ligue 1 title after Monaco’s 3-2 loss to Lyon.
Luis Enrique’s side looked set to wait to get their name after a 3-3 draw with Le Havre at the Parc des Princes on Saturday.
The result leaves PSG 12 points behind Monaco, who needed to beat Lyon on Sunday to have any hope of staying in the title race. However, goals from Alexandre Lacazette, Said Benrahma and Malick Fofana ensured the trophy returned to the French. capital.
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Against Le Havre, Christopher Operi scored first, but Bradley Barcola equalized for PSG. Andre Ayew gave the visitors the lead before the break, and Abdoulaye Touré extended their lead with a penalty shortly after the hour mark. Achraf Hakimi, however, reduced the deficit in the 78th minute, and Goncalo Ramos equalized in stoppage time.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said: “Winning the league is fantastic, but winning Ligue 1 for the twelfth time makes it even more special for everyone connected to Paris Saint-Germain. Congratulations to all the players, to our coach Luis Enrique and his squad, to Luis Campos and his sporting department, and to everyone at the club.
“Since the beginning of the season, the team has been very collective and united. I also won’t forget the fans, who were amazing regardless of the result. We will cherish this moment together as a family. And we’ll keep running hard, too. , game after game, until the last moment of the season.
Unbeaten in Ligue 1 since September, PSG will finish top of the table for the tenth time in the last 12 seasons.
The league win is the first under coach Enrique, who has already won back-to-back La Liga titles while coaching Barcelona.
While they have yet to play for Champions League and Coupe de France honors, PSG are looking for the treble, a feat Enrique achieved in his first season at Barcelona.
Kylian Mbappe’s sixth medal as a league champion will likely be his last as a PSG player, and the striker will leave this summer after seven years at the club, adding one on loan from Monaco.
Mbappe’s contract expires at the end of the season, the French foreigner has yet to announce his next club.
PSG will face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semi-finals, a festival they have never won, next month.
They faced Lyon in the Coupe de France final on 25 May.
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Analysis by Peter Rutzler
PSG is now at the top of French football. Their twelfth name puts them ahead of Saint-Etienne and fierce rivals Marseille (10 names each). They come as no surprise to anyone, the dominant force in France.
Last year’s good luck broke all records, but this year can be enjoyed more in Paris. The end of the 2022-23 season was overshadowed by discontent on and off the court.
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Lionel Messi’s suspension, a woeful failure in the Champions League, fan protests and question marks over coach Christophe Galtier have all contributed to a poisonous atmosphere, in which players were whistled when they won their winner’s medals. It was a normal sight.
Twelve months later, the scenario is different. Some big names have left and a younger (expensive) squad has been formed, betting with an obviously recognizable taste and collective philosophy, under the direction of a renowned coach, Luis Enrique.
Altogether, this mix has won over enthusiasts who have a connection to the team.
Ligue 1 is, of course, an expected triumph. Success is a requirement when your budget is much larger than everyone else’s.
Praise for this procession deserves to be maintained, but it should be noted that this season was meant to be a year of transition, where mistakes would be more forgiven. Despite this, PSG have managed the second-longest unbeaten run in their history this campaign. , making 27 appearances in all competitions.
But most importantly, they are still fighting on two fronts.
This year, the name of the championship is just an initial bet. No club has ever won the treble before in France, with Marseille being the only team to have won the Champions League. Despite all their heavy spending since the acquisition through Qatar Sports Investment, the season in which moving away from the Galacticos could well be the one that takes the club into uncharted territory.
With a Coupe de France final and a Champions League semi-final to come, the story is still on the table for now.
(Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)