Round 8, Ligue 1 McDonald’s, 26/10/2026
With three points meaning either team would take top spot in Ligue 1, it was PSG who returned to the summit thanks to impressive strikes from second-half substitutes Senny Mayulu and Mika Godts.
The match
Both teams had chances in the opening ten minutes. Fabian Ruiz had the opportunity to give the hosts the lead as he sliced his shot wide from a good Doué cross. Just a few minutes later, Nuamah had OL’s first shot on target of the game as he won the ball back in a good area and tested Safonov from distance after cutting in from the left flank.
On the 20-minute mark, Torress found himself in a promising position with space on the edge of the Lyon penalty area. However, he couldn’t threaten Greif as his effort was dragged wide. The Spaniard forced the OL keeper into action soon after. Morton lost possession in a dangerous area and Les Parisiens shifted the ball in the direction of the former Barcelona forward, but once again he couldn’t find the back of the net from a promising position. These chances were an ominous sign for Les Gones as the champions began to boss proceedings.
Duranville had Lyon’s best chance of the first-half just after the half an hour mark. The Belgian winger found the ball in the PSG penalty area after some brilliant work from Nuamah to quickly fire OL onto the counterattack and an allusive dummy by Tolisso. However, he couldn’t beat Safonov. Shortly after, Athekame tested the Russian stopper again, this time from distance, forcing him into arguably the best save of the contest. Lyon were creating chances despite the capital club having the lion’s share of possession in the first half. Akliouche went close before the break after navigating his way into the OL penalty area but Greif made a good save. Both goalkeepers were arguably the stand outs in the first half.
After the break, Neves went close with an acrobatic effort. Hakimi found himself as the most advanced PSG player and he picked the Portuguese midfielder out, but he couldn’t steer his impressive effort on target. As PSG searched for an opener, Greif kept out an effort from Vitinha from distance with their threat increasing. Torres was the next player to test the Slovakian goalkeeper, yet once again he was able to keep the ball out of the Les Gones goal.
Just as PSG unleashed a barrage on the Lyon goal, the visitors went agonisingly close to opening the scoring. Niakhaté headed goalwards from Nuamah’s corner only to see his effort cleared off the line by Mika Godts whose first intervention in the match was defensive rather than attacking. Safonov also got a hand to the defender’s header before it was cleared on the line as he continued to put in an impressive display.
From the bench, it would be Mayulu who broke the deadlock. In the 72nd minute, the Frenchman unleashed a thunderous low effort into the bottom corner, with Greif unsighted and unable to stop the 20-year-old’s strike. Ruiz tested Greif again but he managed to catch the Spaniard’s effort.
Duranville showed excellent feet as OL searched for an equaliser only for his shot to be blocked by Pacho. Safonov watched the ball as it floated over the crossbar. Despite Lyon’s best efforts, Mika Godts would ensure they went home empty handed. Ndjantou, a fellow second-half substitute had an impact on the game, as his floated ball found the former Ajax winger who finished with aplomb to score his first goal for the club, capping off his performance with a goal and an assist.
PSG player ratings:
Matvei Safonov – 7
It was a night for the goalkeepers as the PSG stopper impressed just as much as his counterpart in the Lyon goal. The Russian stopper produced some significant stops including a vital save to thwart Niakhaté’s header which would ultimately be cleared off the line. He ensured that Les Parisiens ended the night with a clean sheet.
Achraf Hakimi – 5
Willian Pacho – 6
Ilya Zabarnyi – 5
Warren Zaïre-Emery – 5
João Neves – 6
Vitinha – 6
Fabián Ruiz – 6
Désiré Doué – 6
Ferran Torres – 6
Maghnes Akliouche – 6
Mika Godts (sub) – 8
The Belgian winger completely turned the game on its head as he arrived from the bench in the 57th minute. He played a smart ball to Mayulu as he found the back of the net with an impressive strike before getting in on the act himself with a cool finish beyond an in-form Greif. In addition to his contributions in front of goal, he added vigour and tempo to the Parisien attack.
Lyon player ratings:
Dominik Greif – 6
The Lyon stopper was the difference between a heavy defeat and a positive result for his team on the road. He put in an excellent display in his attempt to deny the French champions from finding the back of the net. Unsighted for Mayulu’s goal, he did everything he could to keep a clean sheet. In the match, the goalkeeper made X saves, including an impressive stop to deny Akliouche.
Zachary Athekame – 5
Felix Bacher – 5
Moussa Niakhaté – 4
Abner Vinicius – 5
Tanner Tessmann – 6
Tyler Morton – 5
Corentin Tolisso – 5
Ernest Nuamah – 6
Khalis Merah – 4
Julien Duranville – 6
Promoted to a more prominent role given OL’s injury issues in attack, the former Borussia Dortmund winger impressed. He showed brilliant ability to beat his marker with quick feet and to isolate defenders in one-on-one situations. The Belgian international created openings but couldn’t find the finishing touch.