Lee Kang-in and Bradley Barcola both scored twice in the first half as Paris Saint-Germain shrugged off their latest Champions League woes to win 4-2 at Angers on Saturday, the perfect response to a comeback victory for nearest challengers Monaco earlier.
South Korea star Lee came in as one of five changes to the PSG line-up made by coach Luis Enrique following the last-gasp midweek defeat at home to Atletico Madrid, and he wasted little time making an impact.
Lee opened the scoring on 17 minutes with a shot that crossed the line before Angers defender Jordan Lefort managed to clear, and he struck again just three minutes later from Marco Asensio’s low centre.
Barcola, Ligue 1’s leading scorer, then took centre stage by firing in his team’s third goal just after the half-hour mark and adding another with a header from Lee’s cross to make it 4-0 in first-half stoppage time.
The France winger, who was substituted at half-time, has now scored 10 goals in 11 games in Ligue 1 this season, two more goals than Mason Greenwood of Marseille.
PSG took the foot off the pedal late on, allowing 15th-placed Angers to score twice in stoppage time at the end of the game through a fine volley by Esteban Lepaul and an Emmanuel Biumla goal.
However, that did not change the outcome and while PSG are struggling with four points from four games in the Champions League, in Ligue 1 they are unbeaten and six points clear of second-placed Monaco.
“It was a complete performance,” said Luis Enrique, whose side are averaging three goals a game in Ligue 1 this season, while toiling desperately to find the net in the Champions League.
“We were extremely clinical,” added the coach, who said his team’s European goal difficulties were being caused by a mental block and dismissed suggestions a lower standard of opposition was aiding PSG domestically.
“The blockage will pass. This is the beginning of a change. If you look at Monaco and Brest (both performing well in Europe), that shows the standard of Ligue 1 is high.”
– Comeback –
The principality side — who have 10 points from 12 in the Champions League so far — staged a late fightback to win 3-1 at Strasbourg, with Eliesse Ben Seghir scoring twice as they moved clear of Marseille in second.
Liam Rosenior’s Strasbourg were unbeaten at home this season and went in front just before the half-hour through Ivory Coast international Guela Doue.
It looked as if Monaco might pay the price for a big first-half miss by Breel Embolo when they still trailed inside the final quarter of an hour in Alsace.
However, the visitors won a penalty when a Ben Seghir shot was stopped just in front of the line by the arm of Diego Moreira.
Young Moroccan international Ben Seghir stroked in the spot-kick to equalise in the 79th minute and then converted a Maghnes Akliouche assist to put his side ahead with a minute of the 90 remaining.
Stunned Strasbourg conceded again straight from the restart as Saidou Sow was caught in possession, allowing Nigerian substitute George Ilenikhena to run through and finish.
It was a welcome return to winning ways domestically for Monaco after back-to-back losses.
They are three points ahead of Marseille, with Roberto De Zerbi’s third-placed side suffering a surprise 3-1 loss at home to Auxerre on Friday.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Lens also produced a late fightback as Nigerian midfielder Hamzat Ojediran and Adrien Thomasson both scored in the final five minutes, allowing them to win 3-2 at home to Nantes.
That result lifted Will Still’s Lens up to fifth, a point behind northern rivals Lille, who go to Nice on Sunday.
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