Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele made a memorable comeback to the Paris Saint-Germain starting eleven, leading their team to a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Paris FC on Sunday in the first Paris derby to hit the top division since 1990.
PSG, managed by Luis Enrique, saw both goals come on either side of halftime from Doue and Dembele, and closed the gap to just one point behind surprise leaders Lens. The last time PSG suffered a home defeat to a newly-promoted team dates back to May 2010, when Montpellier pulled off a 3-1 upset.
There was little danger of that record being shattered in Sunday’s high-stakes Paris clash, the first in Ligue 1 since February 25, 1990, when Racing Paris stunned PSG at Parc des Princes—the same stadium they played in this weekend. Remarkably, none of the starting players were even born during that historic match, highlighting how much both clubs have changed over nearly four decades.
Since being backed by Qatari owners in 2011, PSG has claimed 12 of their 13 French league titles and lifted the Champions League trophy last year, clearly establishing themselves as the city’s football powerhouse. On the other hand, Paris FC have become a rising force after a significant investment from the Arnault family, owners of luxury giant LVMH, and their promotion to Ligue 1 last season cemented their status as the city’s second-best team.
PSG appeared set for an early penalty as Doue was brought down by Otavio inside the box. After a tense VAR check, the foul was judged to have occurred outside the area, denying the opportunity. But Doue made sure he didn’t leave his next chance to technology, smashing home Fabian Ruiz’s precise pass right on the stroke of halftime for the opener.
The drama continued after the break, as Illya Zabarnyi fouled Alimami Gory in the box, and Willem Geubbels quickly equalized for Paris FC in the 51st minute. That joy was short-lived—just two minutes—when Dembele curled in a left-footed shot that took a huge deflection, leaving Paris FC keeper Kevin Trapp with no hope.
PSG shot-stopper Lucas Chevalier had to make a few saves to keep Paris FC at bay in the dying minutes, but the defending champions never truly looked troubled and sealed a long-overdue derby victory.
Marseille Mel
