Injury-depleted Paris Saint-Germain clinched another late victory on Sunday night, defeating Lyon 3-2 in a pulsating Ligue 1 encounter thanks to João Neves’ stoppage-time header.
The win marks the second straight match where PSG have secured all three points deep into injury time, following Gonçalo Ramos’ last-second winner against Nice a week earlier. The result keeps Luis Enrique’s side two points ahead of Marseille and Lens, who remain level on points but separated by goal difference.
The defending champions came into the match under pressure after a midweek Champions League loss to Bayern Munich and without several key players. Ousmane Dembélé (calf tear), Achraf Hakimi (ankle sprain), and Nuno Mendes (knee injury) were all sidelined, while young midfielder Désiré Doué also missed out with a thigh problem.
Midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery, filling in at right back, opened the scoring in the 26th minute. His precise angled drive from the edge of the box flew past Lyon goalkeeper Dominik Greif and nestled into the top corner.
Lyon struck back just four minutes later when Afonso Moreira exploited space behind Zaïre-Emery to slot home a composed finish into the far corner. The equalizer temporarily swung the momentum in Lyon’s favor before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, deployed unusually as a central striker, restored PSG’s lead in the 33rd minute.
The Georgian international capitalized on a midfield error by Tanner Tessmann, who lost possession near the penalty area. Kvaratskhelia pounced and fired a crisp low shot into the bottom corner to make it 2-1.
Lyon, however, refused to back down. Former Arsenal full-back Ainsley Maitland-Niles leveled the score in the 51st minute with a stunning first-time lob from 25 meters, catching goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier off his line.
As the game approached stoppage time, Lyon’s resilience faltered when Argentine defender Nicolás Tagliafico was shown a second yellow card and sent off. From the ensuing corner, João Neves escaped his marker and rose highest to head home from close range in the 95th minute, sealing another dramatic PSG victory.
Despite their defensive lapses, PSG’s perseverance once again paid off. Coach Luis Enrique praised his side’s mentality after the match, calling the performance “a display of character and belief.”
Elsewhere, Strasbourg secured a 2-0 victory over Lille after capitalizing on a costly mistake by veteran striker Olivier Giroud.
The French international, known for his illustrious career with France, Chelsea, and AC Milan, misplaced a back pass that allowed Emmanuel Emegha to double Strasbourg’s lead in the 62nd minute. Emegha had already opened the scoring earlier with a knee finish from Diego Moreira’s cross.
With the win, PSG maintain their narrow lead at the Ligue 1 summit, demonstrating once again that even amid an injury crisis, their depth and determination remain unmatched.