Bradley Barcola struck twice to help Paris Saint-Germain to a 2-0 victory over Lens on Sunday, taking the defending champions back to the top of Ligue 1 with four wins from four matches.
Barcola opened the scoring with a superb 20-yard curler in the 15th minute, before sealing the win shortly after the break with another long-range finish past Lens goalkeeper Robin Risser. However, the win came at a cost for PSG, with three more players—Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Lee Kang-in, and Lucas Beraldo—forced off due to injury.
Kvaratskhelia, who limped off with a calf issue after 30 minutes, is now a doubt for PSG`s Champions League opener against Atalanta on Wednesday. Midfielder Lee and defender Beraldo also picked up knocks, adding to an already growing injury list that includes Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue.
Speaking after the match, coach Luis Enrique downplayed fears of a crisis. "It happens to everyone. It`s a bit of a difficult time for us because we have injured players. We have to wait for the results," he said. "But we have the ability to adapt and respond as a team."
Earlier in the day, 18-year-old Ethan Mbappe scored deep into stoppage time to give Lille a dramatic 2-1 win over Toulouse. With Lille trailing 1-0 heading into injury time, Nabil Bentaleb equalised from the spot before Mbappe, younger brother of Kylian, volleyed home an Osame Sahraoui cross in the 98th minute to snatch victory.
Mbappe, who joined Lille last year after leaving PSG, called the goal a turning point. “Last year was a bit of a difficult year for me, with a lot of injuries,” he said. “Coming back with a goal—honestly, there`s no better way to start a new season.”
The win briefly sent Lille to the top of the table with 10 points, before PSG reclaimed first place later in the evening. Lyon, also unbeaten so far, could move top if they beat Rennes in the final match of the weekend.
Elsewhere in Ligue 1, Joaquin Panichelli scored a 92nd-minute penalty to give Strasbourg a 1-0 home win over Le Havre. Paris FC edged bottom-placed Brest 2-1 for their second win of the season, while Metz and Angers played out a 1-1 draw.
