Paris Saint-Germain maintained their dominance in Ligue 1 with a 1-0 victory over Toulouse, extending their remarkable unbeaten away run in the league to 35 matches (W27, D8).
Fabian Ruiz’s second-half goal proved decisive as the reigning champions restored their ten-point lead at the top of the table.
With PSG enjoying a comfortable cushion at the summit, manager Luis Enrique opted for significant squad rotation, making six changes from their midweek UEFA Champions League triumph over Brest.
Among the alterations was the decision to start without star winger Ousmane Dembélé, who began the match on the bench. The reshuffled lineup struggled to find attacking fluency in the opening stages, despite dominating possession.
Toulouse, currently positioned 10th in the standings, had the game’s first real chance in the 14th minute when Aron Donnum’s well-placed corner found Charlie Cresswell, but the defender’s header was comfortably saved by PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov.
The home side continued to test PSG’s defensive resilience, with Donnum playing a pivotal role both offensively and defensively, effectively containing the threats posed by Bradley Barcola and Désiré Doué.
Toulouse’s best opportunity of the first half arrived midway through when Zakaria Aboukhlal latched onto a quick free-kick from Donnum, but the Moroccan forward fired his shot wastefully over the bar despite being one-on-one with Safonov.
At the other end, PSG took time to trouble Toulouse’s teenage goalkeeper Guillaume Restes. The 19-year-old was first called into action in the 29th minute to deal with a deflected effort from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
However, Restes was soon forced into two significant saves in quick succession—first tipping Lucas Beraldo’s long-range strike onto the post, before reacting quickly to deny Barcola moments later.
Unfortunately for Toulouse, their young shot-stopper suffered a leg injury just before halftime and had to be replaced by Norwegian goalkeeper Kjetil Haug.
Luis Enrique, likely unsatisfied with PSG’s lack of attacking sharpness, would have demanded more intensity in the second half. However, it was Toulouse who started the brighter after the break, pushing forward in search of an opening goal.
Their efforts were undone in the 52nd minute when PSG capitalized on a defensive lapse. Lee Kang-in’s inswinging corner caused chaos in the box, with Haug only able to palm the ball onto his own crossbar, allowing Fabian Ruiz to pounce on the rebound and slot home the match-winning goal.
Doué had an opportunity to level the score soon after but failed to convert from close range, much to the frustration of the home fans.
Enrique responded by introducing Ousmane Dembélé as part of a triple substitution just after the hour mark, but despite fresh legs, PSG were unable to add to their advantage.
Instead, they focused on maintaining control and seeing out the result, securing a vital three points in their quest for another Ligue 1 title.
PSG now shift their attention to Wednesday’s crucial Champions League second-leg clash against Brest, aiming to secure a spot in the last 16. Meanwhile, Toulouse, now winless in six Ligue 1 matches, will look to end their poor run when they visit relegation-threatened Le Havre next Sunday.
