Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele marked their returns to the Paris Saint-Germain starting XI by securing a 2-1 win over Paris FC on Sunday as the French capital enjoyed its first top-flight derby since 1990.
Victory for Luis Enrique’s second-placed PSG, thanks to goals either side of half-time by Doue and Dembele, took them back to within one point of surprise league leaders Lens.
“I think it was Ousmane’s best game (of the season) tonight, he’s back to his best,” Luis Enrique said of his star attacker who has endured an injury-plagued campaign.
The last time PSG lost at home to a newly-promoted side was in May 2010 when they went down 3-1 to Montpellier.
But there were few chances of that streak being broken in the first top-division Paris derby since February 25, 1990, when Racing Paris 1 beat PSG 2-1 at the Parc des Princes home that they shared.
None of the starters on either side at the Parc on Sunday were born when that match took place, and both clubs are a world away from where they were nearly 36 years ago.
PSG, backed by Qatar since 2011, have won 12 of their 13 French domestic crowns since then, as well as the Champions League last season.
If they are the top dogs in the City of Light, PFC’s solid showing firmly cemented their place as the second strongest side in Paris after they were invested in by the Arnault family - owners of LVMH - last season and promptly won promotion to Ligue 1.
Dominant PSG thought they had a penalty midway through the opening period when Doue burst into the box and was felled by Otavio but a VAR review adjudged the initial contact to have been outside the box.
But the 20-year-old left nothing up to VAR the next time he found himself driving into the PFC area as he perfectly timed his run onto Fabian Ruiz’s pass on 45 minutes and hammered the ball past Kevin Trapp.
The second period started in chaotic fashion as Illya Zabarnyi upended Alimami Gory in the box and Willem Geubbels levelled for the visitors on 51 minutes.
Parity lasted only two minutes, however, as Ballon d’Or holder Dembele cut in and struck a left-footed effort, which took a huge deflection on its way past a helpless Trapp.
PSG goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier was called into action on a couple of occasions in the remainder of the match, but the reigning champions were able to keep PFC at arm’s length to win a long-awaited encounter.
“I hope to play many more Parisian derbies. We like having Paris FC in Ligue 1,” Luis Enrique added.
