The Star Malaysia

Monaco win makes PSG wait a little longer for Ligue 1 crown

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PARIS: Monaco’s 1-0 win over Lille left Paris St Germain to wait at least until this weekend before securing yet another Ligue 1 title.

Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe both scored twice as PSG eased to a 4-1 victory at Lorient earlier, meaning a slipup by second-placed Monaco in the day’s late game would confirm the Qatar-owned club as champions.

However, Youssouf Fofana’s (pic) second-half strike proved enough to give in-form Monaco their fourth consecutiv­e win as they strengthen­ed their grip on second place.

The principali­ty club are the only team who can still mathematic­ally catch PSG with four games remaining, but the gap is 11 points and will surely not be made up.

Luis Enrique’s side will have the chance to guarantee the championsh­ip tomorrow with a victory when they entertain relegation-threatened Le Havre.

It will be a record-extending 12th French League championsh­ip triumph for the Parisians, and a 10th in the last 12 campaigns going back to the start of the Qatar era which has transforme­d Ligue 1.

PSG have a potential treble in their sights, with an upcoming Champions League semi-final against Borussia Dortmund and the French Cup final against Lyon next month.

They made short work of relegation-threatened Lorient in Brittany despite making a host of changes, with captain Marquinhos, Achraf Hakimi and Vitinha among the players rested.

“We did our job. We were serious and we got all three points, despite making numerous changes,” Luis Enrique said.

“As long as the school year is not finished we cannot get our final grade,” he added when asked about the prospect of clinching the title.

“What is happening is exciting. We are close, but we still have a month of the season to go, with other things to accomplish.

“There are seven or eight matches left, and to get to the eighth we will need to remain fully focused,” added the Spaniard in reference to the Champions League final at Wembley on June 1.

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