Paris Saint-Germain climbed back to the top of Ligue 1 with a 3–0 victory over Le Havre, stretching their unbeaten run to eight matches. Softfootball reported that Le Havre were confident heading into this encounter, but they just could not cope with the pedigree and quality of the defending champions.
It wasn’t the most explosive performance they’ve ever delivered at the Parc des Princes, but it felt like one of those nights where the job simply had to get done, especially after the criticism lingering before the international break.
PSG’s recent displays had been a bit wobbly, and people were starting to mutter about whether the “champions-elect” label was slipping off their shoulders.
Early on, Le Havre actually made things awkward. Simon Ebonog nearly converted Issa Soumaré’s cross, but Lucas Chevalier pulled off a sharp save that kept PSG from starting on the wrong foot. The hosts eventually found a breakthrough just before the half-hour mark.
Nuno Mendes whipped a cross into the area, and after a small scramble, Lee Kang-in squeezed a left-footed shot inside Mory Diaw’s near post. Not the cleanest strike he’ll ever hit, but they all count.
PSG could’ve doubled the advantage when Ibrahim Mbaye fired over from a Mendes cut-back, but Le Havre didn’t fold. They tested PSG with long-range efforts, including Ayumu Seko’s rising strike that wasn’t too far off. Chevalier had to be sharp again near the interval, stopping Yassine Kechta at the near post.
After the break, the game got a little scrappy. Senny Mayulu had a great chance to make it 2–0 but dragged his effort wide, and that miss almost came back to haunt PSG, because Le Havre kept threatening on set pieces and counters. Yanis Zouaoui forced another good save from Chevalier, reminding everyone the match wasn’t settled yet.
PSG finally found breathing space in the 65th minute. João Neves, who was the hero in their 3-2 victory over Lyon in their last outing, reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box and drilled it in off the post after Bradley Barcola had been denied twice. The move started with a sharp through ball from Warren Zaïre-Emery, one of those passes that slices a defence clean open.
After the game, PSG celebrated Joao Neves in a post made via the team’s official X account.
They posted:
Le Havre still wasn’t done. Soumaré rattled the post with a fierce hit, briefly quieting the stadium. But PSG, maybe jolted by that scare, pushed again. Mendes fired over from close range, but the hosts did add a late third when Barcola timed his run perfectly onto Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s pass and slotted home with confidence.
It wasn’t vintage PSG, but it was professional, steady, and enough to restore their two-point cushion at the top. Le Havre, meanwhile, drop to 12th, their four-game unbeaten run halted despite a brave showing.
