Paris Saint-Germain Didn't Get It Easy This Year. Enrique: "My Toughest Title Yet"

Luis Enrique's squad had all but secured the title last week with a 1-0 victory over Brest. That win gave them a six-point lead, coupled with Lens' significantly worse goal difference of 15, which serves as the tie-breaker.

However, the Parisians aimed to clinch it definitively in a direct showdown on their rival's home turf, and they succeeded. Lens, though, didn't go down without a fight. They dominated shots 25-10, shots on target 10-3, and boasted a superior expected goals (xG) ratio of 2.87 to 1.22. Despite creating numerous clear-cut chances, including several sitters, they failed to convert, while their opponents capitalized.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia sealed the visitors' victory in the 29th minute. The Georgian winger capitalized on a major defensive error by Malang Sarr, from whom Ousmane Dembele dispossessed the ball and flicked it to his attacking partner. Kvaratskhelia then calmly slotted it past the goalkeeper for his 19th goal of the season.

"We wanted to come here and win, but most importantly, we want to prepare for the Champions League final on May 30th. We still have one more league match against Paris FC on Sunday. But now I'm celebrating because it's official. We are champions," rejoiced last year's Ballon d'Or winner, Dembele.

Ibrahim Mbaye added an insurance goal in second-half stoppage time. PSG still has a chance to defend their Champions League title, facing Arsenal London in the final on May 30th in Budapest. However, they won't achieve a treble, as they did last year, having been eliminated from the domestic cup in the round of 16 by city rivals Paris FC.

This marks their 14th league title, with twelve of those coming in the last 14 years under Qatari ownership. The last team to win at least five consecutive titles in France was Lyon, who claimed seven between 2002 and 2008.

"I would like to congratulate everyone. When you look at this match, at the entire season, we did a great job. Everyone is happy that we achieved our goal today, and it was very important for us to win here, away against Lens. Great respect to the home team, who made it very difficult for us tonight. They play very good football. But we are French champions, and congratulations to everyone. I just did my job," praised goalkeeper Matvey Safonov, who made six saves and particularly distinguished himself with crucial stops against Wesley Said and Abdallah Sima.

Despite the loss, Lens secured second place in the table and a spot in next year's Champions League group stage, where they last featured in the 2023/24 season. They still have one chance at silverware, with the domestic cup final against Nice scheduled for next Friday.

"It was an important victory for us. But it's not a result that was fair to Lens. However, we once again showed the level and ambition we need to have to manage this end of the season. We are happy because this is the toughest of all three titles. Lens had a great season. We must enjoy this moment," added PSG coach Luis Enrique, who joined PSG in 2023 and has won Ligue 1 in every season since.